The Teacher
by JLaLa
Summary: "We have a connection that can't be denied, but there are some lines that just can't be crossed." "Teacher, mentor…friend." Katniss smiled wryly, her mouth twisting at the last label. "We could be so much more if you came with me."
1. Part One

This was originally posted on Tumblr to answer the prompt, ""That's almost exactly the opposite of what I meant.". It has now turned in a three-ish part story. I hope you enjoy.

The characters of The Hunger Games Trilogy do not belong to me.

The Teacher

 _Part One_

"So tonight, I want you to finish _Death of a Salesman_." Peeta sat back against the front of his desk. "I want to hear your thoughts, your feelings, and your interpretations."

Her hand shot up, so Hermione Granger-esque, that he forced himself to suppress his smile.

"Yes, Katniss?"

"I'll tell you what I think right now," she stated, her grey eyes as steely as her tone. "I hated it."

Around her, the class groaned.

It was not unusual for Katniss Everdeen to speak her mind, especially in Mr. Mellark's class. Highly intelligent and highly instigative, the teenager was not averse to going blow-for-blow with her teachers, whether it be in Physiology with Professor Snow or U.S. History with Miss Trinket. She was often a point of discussion in the faculty break room, sometimes in admiration and other times in annoyance.

However, to everyone's delight, the bell rang before Katniss could continue her tirade.

The rest of the class stood from their seats, scattering out the door towards their next class.

Katniss waited in her chair.

Peeta, too, remained seated at the front of his desk.

"So why did you hate the play?"

Peeta enjoyed indulging Katniss' tirades; she was the most intelligent student that he had ever come across. She could draw connections that even he had never thought of in his ten years of teaching English Literature.

His first assignment for the senior class that year was for each of them to find a character that best described them. He had funny answers like Bridget Jones or The Ghost of Christmas Past to somber ones like Sydney Carton and Tita de la Garza.

Katniss had selected Mary Lennox; bratty, contrary, and outspoken. She opted to be satirical of her qualities, but Peeta had seen through it. Because as he had commented in his feedback, Mary had found purpose and hope in her garden—she had found herself. He believed that Katniss had not found her own garden and that her own viewpoint of the world and herself were not very encouraging.

"Because it's like a giant 'Fuck You' to the American Dream," she spat tersely. "And, I saw too much of District 12 in that play. I saw every disappointed person in Willy, I saw my mother in Linda—too loyal to my father for her own good. I saw my best friend in Biff; all the potential and all he wants is the minimum in life, what is good and easy _now_."

Peeta shook inwardly at her candid words.

For her fire was so lost in District 12.

When Katniss spoke, he remembered how passionate he was at her age; how much he had loved the words of F. Scott Fitzgerald and Jane Austen. He could forget that, as much as he wanted to deny it, he had peaked at the age of 32—that he was relegated to teaching English Literature to seniors, who were already half-gone, and juniors, who were panicking over college acceptance letters.

"You want more," he stated simply.

"Don't you?"

No one had asked him that in a long while. Not his wife or his family or even his colleagues—and it threw him in a loop.

"Of course I want more," he admitted. "I wanted to be a writer."

Katniss folded her arms on the desk, leaning towards him in apt interest. "Then, what happened?"

"I wasn't as brave as you." Peeta crossed his arms, willing himself to suppress the crushing disappointment of his lost dreams. "Life happened." He struggled to continue. "I'm happy with everything. I really am."

She stared and he knew that she didn't believe him, her eyes observing his internal struggle.

"Will you meet me later, Mr. Mellark?" Katniss suddenly asked. "I get off from my shift at the diner at seven."

There it was again—that twinge at her words…that _fire_.

"Seven?" Peeta nodded absently. "Okay."

* * *

He closed the front door behind him, letting out an unsteady breath into the autumn air.

Delly had nodded in acceptance at him leaving, never questioning where he was heading at a quarter to seven on a weekday evening. She simply smiled before taking his plate to the kitchen.

There had been a time where they were blissfully happy, content to be together. Over time, they had settled into a silence, running out of things to say to one another. Delly was busy with her real estate business and he was aspiring to be the best literature teacher that Panem High ever had.

Now their dinners were spent staring at their phones, making conversation with anyone but the person in front of them. Every once in awhile, Peeta felt that jolt of loneliness—that disconnect despite the fact that his wife was only a hand hold away.

The Everdeen Diner was on the main street of District 12 and had been there since the former coal-mining town was founded. Katniss' paternal grandparents had opened the diner and it been passed down since.

No doubt, Katniss and whoever she married would one day run the place.

He approached the brick building with five minutes to spare.

Peeta wasn't sure what exactly Katniss wanted, but his curiosity in her request was something that he couldn't ignore.

"You're early."

He whipped around, finding her in a dark green parka and a grey hat atop her head. With her hair down, her eyes seemed even wider and the framing layers emphasized the pointed end of her heart-shaped face.

"It's not that far of a walk from my place," Peeta replied before giving her a smile. "So how can I help you?"

"Follow me," she replied simply, taking his hand and leading him away from the diner. "How well do you know District 12?"

"Well enough." He had not grown up in the town like Katniss did. "Why?"

"Just assuring myself that I'm bringing you somewhere you've never been." She smiled mysteriously. "Trust me."

"Trust is subjective," he retorted and Katniss chuckled. "What?"

"Such an adult way to see the world." They were nearing the woods on the far end of town and he felt his apprehension heighten. "Don't worry, Mr. Mellark. I can find my way through this forest with my eyes shut."

"Peeta." Katniss stopped as they stepped into a thicket of trees. "We're not in school, so you can call me by my first name."

"Peeta," she sounded out slowly, her mouth opening slightly as she breathed out the last syllable. He was suddenly warm despite the chill of the forest. "I like it."

"Thank my parents." He looked around. "Where are we?"

"My favorite place in District 12," Katniss said. "There aren't that many like it."

They stopped in front of a large boulder encircled by a family of dark oaks. Katniss reached underneath it, pulling out an electric lamp and turning it on. She placed the lamp on the boulder before looking to him.

"This is where I go when I need to think," she said. Her olive skin glowed under the warmth of the lamp. "Where I write." Katniss held out a notebook to him. "You seem like an unhappy man, Peeta."

"Why do you think that?" he asked tightly.

She moved closer to him, no doubt calculating the stiffness of his shoulders and the tightness of his mouth.

He could feel her fire—rivulets of warmth dancing along his skin.

It had been a long while since he had felt this alive.

"You used to have fire in those blue eyes." Her hand reached, just a breath away from cupping his cheek. "I remember your first year at Panem High. I was a Freshman taking your Sophomore class. I was a blip of a girl at the time, but I remember that you had passion in your eyes. You cared back then."

That had been the year when his book had been rejected—when he had given up.

Even now, it still hurt to remember his excitement as he opened that envelope and the heavy depression that had come over him at the publisher's rejection.

"I wanted to give you this." Katniss nodded at the notebook. "It's a writing journal. I've given you a prompt—maybe we can meet again and discuss your answer."

"Here?" Peeta looked around the forest; scattered red and gold leaves blanketed on the ground and crisping under his feet. He looked to her, realizing how she seemed to fit in this forest, a nymphet of these woods. Katniss glowed in this place and it came to him suddenly. "You found your garden."

She nodded, letting out a wide smile. "You remembered, Peeta."

He knew then that he could not forget, not when she smiled at him like that.

* * *

"I didn't know that you wrote a book." Katniss closed Peeta's notebook before handing it back to him. "Thank you for sharing." She drew her knees to her chest as she sat on the large rock that was now their weekly meeting place. "What was it about?"

"About a family," he replied. "You'd hate it. It's about 'The American Dream'."

"Will you bring it?" she asked. "I mean, the next time we meet?"

Peeta grinned. "Are you going to give me another prompt?"

He enjoyed her question: _What did you want to be when you were a kid?_

Peeta had spent most of his weekend filling the pages of the notebook with his early childhood memories and love for reading—how he had hidden himself away from the world and his bullying older brothers using a notebook and a pen.

"Since I picked this prompt, you can pick the next one." Katniss held out a worn burgundy notebook. "We'll compare notes next week."

"Why are you hanging out with me?" he asked with a doubtful shake of his head. "Don't you have a boyfriend to keep you occupied?"

"No." Her stare was serious. "I don't plan to ever fall in love."

Peeta peered at her in amusement. "Ever?"

"Maybe I was in love once…" She looked out into the dark forest, the light of the moon revealing the scarlet on her thin cheeks. "And, I just couldn't give him up."

"You're too young for heartbreak," he chided.

"I'm eighteen." Katniss straightened herself. "Perfect time for heartbreak."

It was magnetic the way his hand reached to anchor her chin, his thumb just barely grazing her bottom lip and something inside trilled hearing her sharp inhale.

"You're just too pure," he remarked, his eyes focused on the openness of hers. "Too pure to be hurt. I mean, I'd never want that for you."

"Don't worry about me, Peeta." She let out a breath. "I don't hurt so easily."

His hand fell away and he opened the book in front of him, scribbling their new prompt messily:

 _Tell me about your family._

* * *

' _My parents were high school sweethearts. She was rich. He wasn't and their parents didn't approve. So they did the only thing that could guarantee that they'd stay together: they had me. I was a means to an end._

 _By the time my sister Prim was born, I could already see the cracks in the relationship. My parents were from two different worlds; my mother wants to be the perfect wife, but can't get it together. My father will never feel good enough for my mother so he compensates with other women that are never as beautiful or intelligent as her._

 _The only bright light in all of this Prim—_ '

"What are you reading?"

Peeta closed the journal, looking up to see Haymitch Abernathy, assistant principal, pulling up a chair. He gave the man a congenial smile, placing Katniss' burgundy notebook in his book bag.

"Just something that I found at a vintage bookstore," Peeta informed the man. "What's up?"

"The winter formal is coming up," Haymitch said. "We're short on chaperones and I was wondering if you could be one. You can take the later shift so you're not disrupting your evening with Delly."

"It's fine," he answered. "She usually goes to bed early unless there's someone that she wants to see on 'The Tonight Show'."

"I knew that I could count on you," the older man said. "Stop by my office. Let's talk about next year's curriculum. I'd like to give you more leeway when it comes to your teaching plan."

"Yes, of course," Peeta agreed. The bell rang signaling the next period. "Last class of the day." Gathering his bag, he waved to the man. "Thanks, Haymitch."

Leaving the break room, Peeta didn't even notice how the assistant principal's focus was on the worn burgundy notebook peeking out from his open bag.

* * *

Tentatively, Peeta pulled out the bound pages of his book from his bag. He turned to Katniss on the ledge of the rock, holding it out to her.

"Here."

Katniss opened the book, thumbing through its pages. "So this is you—in story form?"

"It was a two-year process," he said. "And, I loved every fucking minute of it."

"Cursing in front of a student?" Katniss smirked, peeking over at him from behind the large collar of her coat. "I'm excited to read this."

"Tell me about your sister," Peeta asked her suddenly. "She seems like the only ray of sunshine in your otherwise gloomy demeanor."

"You know me already." Katniss drew her knees up, her usual seated position during their meetings. She smiled to herself, the setting sun catching her lashes. "Prim is the sweetest girl. I worried before she was born that my parents would love her more than me. But, I loved her the moment they let me hold her."

"So you were a goner," he concluded and she nodded.

"Was it like that with Mrs. Mellark?" Katniss asked carefully.

"Delly and I met in college…and it just seemed to be the natural flow of things to get married," Peeta admitted. "I was never a great believer of the whole 'butterflies in your stomach' thing or 'love at first sight'."

"But you believe in some sort of love, right?"

Peeta turned to her, watching her fiddle with the tip of her braid. "I do." She met his eyes and he felt that excited bubbling in his stomach, unfamiliar but not altogether unwelcome. Clearing his throat, he looked away. "Speaking of love, what lucky fella is taking you to the Winter Formal?"

"Did you just say 'fella'?" She snorted at him. "Sometimes I forget that we're not just two friends bonding over prose and plays. I forget that you've lived a whole life before me." He rolled his eyes at her words. "But to answer your question, I'm not going."

"Why not?"

"Because I'm not sentimental about leaving high school," Katniss explained. "I'm not going to miss walking through those halls or the eating in the cafeteria or going to formals. I just want to move on and grow up."

"Growing up is not all it's cut out to be," Peeta said truthfully. "You're going to miss being a kid."

"No, I won't!" She turned away from him. "You couldn't understand…if anything, being a kid has kept me from the things I've wanted the most."

It pained him to see the quivering of her shoulders and her wet sniffling. His hand reached for Katniss and she was suddenly burying her face in his jean jacket. His arms rounded her shoulders, letting her rest against him.

"Where do you want to go after high school?" he asked, trying to distract her.

"As far away from District 12 as I can." Katniss swiped her arm along her face. "My parents expect me to take over the family business—to marry someone like Gale." Her childhood friend, who earned average grades in Peeta's class when he really tried. "And, you know where it starts? At stupid winter formals. My parents met at one and they've paid for it ever since."

"You really want to leave?" he responded and Katniss nodded vehemently. "Then I'll help you."

She peeked from under his arm, her smile hopeful. "Really?"

"You have all the potential in the world," Peeta told her—it was the truth. "More than I ever had."

Katniss looked down at the book in her lap before resting her head on his shoulder.

"I highly doubt that."

* * *

Her text message came after an Arianna Grande song and his third cup of punch seasoned with something from Haymitch's flask.

' _It was completely and utterly you. I loved it_.'

Haymitch was suddenly by his side in the chaperone corner.

"What are you smiling about?"

Peeta shook his head. "Nothing important."

"'Nothing important' doesn't make you smile like that," the man retorted before sidling off.

* * *

Katniss held an envelope out to him as they stood in the forest.

"I applied to this university." She looked at it worriedly. "It's the place that I've wanted to go to all along."

"Allow me." Peeta took the envelope from her grasp. She bit her lip, trying to hide her tenseness. He found himself grinning at her sweet nervousness. As much as Katniss wanted to act like an adult, her facial expressions spoke of innocence. "Close your eyes."

Tearing the envelope open, Peeta felt his own chest pound as he pulled out the piece of paper. It was difficult now to discern an acceptance letter from a rejection letter. Most paperwork was done online if a student was accepted and the big acceptance envelopes were a thing of the past, so he was just as on edge as she was.

Quickly, he skimmed the letter, letting out a breath of relief. "You're in." Katniss whipped around, the grin on her face as radiant as the sun. "You got into NYU."

She threw her arms around his neck, her face pressing into his shoulder. Peeta wasn't sure when he closed his eyes, but he found himself shrouded in Katniss—smelling of the Saturday sun and the turn of the seasons.

Spring was everywhere and it was embodied in Katniss Everdeen.

Her hand had strayed to his back, moving along the thinness of his cotton t-shirt. He hadn't even bothered to bring a jacket, so excited when he received her text during his morning coffee.

"I knew that you could do it," he whispered into her skin.

How had he not noticed the light fabric of her dress? The way it clung to her curves, how her skirt moved along her shapely thighs, and how the sweetheart top held her full cleavage.

Spring brought on many things.

"Thank you, Peeta." Her lips just brushing against his ear. His knees practically buckled at the sensation of her sweet breath against his skin. "I don't think that I could've done this without you."

Pulling away, their gazes remained locked on one another—wanting, waiting, willing.

Like Peeta believed, Spring brought on many things.

Including the realization that he might be falling for Katniss Everdeen.

* * *

"You seem so distracted," Delly remarked. "Anything going on?"

"Spring break is coming up." He looked down at his coffee mug. "Been working on the midterm."

His wife leaned down giving him a quick, perfunctory kiss on the top of his head. "I'm going to be meeting a client, so I might not make it in time for dinner."

"Don't worry about it," Peeta assured her. "I can just grab something in town."

Delly nodded, adjusting her blazer, and making sure that her shoulder-length hair was neat. "Alright. See you later."

He waved from his seat. "Love you."

The porch door had already slammed shut.

Downing the last bit of his coffee, Peeta went to their kitchen; state-of-the-art and decorated with Spanish tiles that Delly just needed to have for her 30thbirthday. He quickly washed his mug and after drying it, placed it back in its assigned cupboard. His wife was a bit of neat freak, but it had been endearing when they were first married.

As time went by, their qualities had changed in both their eyes. Walking out of the kitchen, Peeta caught sight of his writing desk; books were piled on it along with folders full of student essays. Delly had found his messy nature loveable and at one point, she had coveted his intelligence. Now, he was 'absent-minded' and a 'know-it-all' during their arguments.

Their wedding photo sat in their living room. They had the big, fancy wedding. Delly's parents owned a winery and they married there before Napa was deemed the 'it spot' for weddings.

The jarring ding of his phone brought him back to reality. He pulled his phone from his pocket and looked at the message: ' _What are you doing?_ '

' _Hanging out at home_. _You?'_

The unbidden thought of asking her to come over crossed his mind, but he pushed it away.

' _Working at the restaurant for the day. It's Meatloaf Night._ _Stop by?_ '

Well…Delly said that she wasn't having dinner at home.

* * *

Prim Everdeen was a tall girl for her age. She had golden hair and was blue-eyed. However, when she smiled, Peeta could clearly see that she and Katniss were related—they had the same lift in their grins.

"Hi, Mr. Mellark," Prim greeted him. "Katniss told me that you were solo this evening." She stepped out and around the hostess' booth with a menu for him. "Follow me!"

He followed her down the aisle of tables. "Prim, right?"

"Yep! I'll be in high school next year," she informed him. "I'm not as smart as Katniss, so I'll probably just have you for my junior and senior year."

Peeta grinned as she pointed him to a corner booth.

"Katniss tells me different." He settled himself down. "So I guess I'll have the meatloaf."

"It's on the house." Katniss was suddenly at her sister's side in a garish seafoam-green waitress uniform. She winked at him before giving her sister a kiss on the top of her head. "Let Sae know to put extra gravy on his mashed potatoes."

"Cool." Prim nodded. "Nice meeting you, Mr. Mellark!"

"See you next year, Prim." Settling down, he found Katniss sitting across from him. "How are you?"

There was a tightness in her smile. "I told my parents about NYU."

"And?"

"My parents understand that it's a great opportunity," she said in a low voice. "But, they need me here."

"No." Peeta met her eyes squarely. "You deserve this. You've worked so hard for it."

"I know," Katniss stated, her words thick. She gave him a sad smile. "Since I'm staying, I get more time with you, don't I?"

It was as much as an admittance that either of them were willing to allow.

He shook his head. "Not like this."

"Peeta—"

Peeta wasn't sure why it bothered him—to see her give up so easily. Maybe it was because he saw how much potential she had, Peeta saw her taking over the literary world—perhaps writing a book or becoming a college professor. Maybe it was because she was caving and doing exactly what was expected of her.

"I don't want this for you!" Peeta said. Katniss sat back, her grey eyes widening at his outburst. "I don't want to see you running this place, marrying some guy that isn't even half as intelligent as you are, or pregnant with his kid while tugging another one along." He stood up, leaning forward to look her directly in the eye. "I don't want you to become me."

"Why would it be so bad to be you?" she asked simply.

The fury rose and Peeta stepped out of the booth. What did it matter, anyhow? He had seen many of his students settle in District 12. It didn't bother him; he was proud of a lot of them.

Why was Katniss Everdeen any different?

Because she was special—to him.

"I have to go."

Peeta couldn't meet her anymore, not when he cared this much.

* * *

The next two months were hell for Peeta.

Ignoring Katniss' silent pleas for reconciliation was painful. In class, she would barely raise her hand anymore, instead choosing to stare down at her notebook until the school bell rang. However, every once in awhile, he'd get a text from her: ' _Are you okay?_ ' or ' _I don't understand._ '

He'd always hesitate, suppressing the need to respond to her.

Everyone noticed that something was off with Katniss. Classes were quieter, no one argued with Peeta over the book choices. Her essays were still brilliant, but they lacked the spark that was characteristically her.

"Has Katniss Everdeen been acting differently in your class?"

Peeta looked up from his lunch as Professor Snow sat across from him in the faculty lunchroom. Coriolanus unpacked his lunch carefully; a boiled egg and a salad made dutifully by his wife, Alma, every morning. Beside him was Effie Trinket, filing her nails and occasionally taking sips of Diet Coke, listening in on their conversation.

"She's been quieter," Peeta responded.

"It's been a dream come true for me," Coriolanus remarked. "Now I can actually make it through a lesson."

"You know—" Effie began quietly. "—they say that she's mooning over some boy. A few months back, Katniss was glowing! Humming to herself…doodling all over her notebooks…but then it all stopped—" She snapped her fingers. "—just like that."

"I, for one, am happy to see a much more compliant Katniss," Coriolanus concluded.

Haymitch sat down, just in time to see Peeta's snarl. "You're an asshole."

"Excuse me?" The man across from him glared. "Who the hell do you think you are?"

"Peeta." Haymitch put a hand on his shoulder. "Calm down."

"Katniss is one of the only students here who will make something of herself," Peeta told the man. "She's just not going to stay in District 12. She is going to be brilliant wherever she goes, especially if she doesn't have teachers like _you_ to tell her to stay quiet."

"We all adore Katniss," Effie said, trying to calm the situation. "I'm sure that she'll do well wherever she ends up."

Peeta let out an anguished breath. "Well, her parents have relegated her to working for them. What the hell is the point of teaching these kids about the real world when all they have in the end is this?"

Professor Snow peered at him under his half-moon glasses. "Are you talking about them or about you?"

"Go fuck yourself."

Gathering his things, Peeta walked out of the room, leaving the staff in stunned silence.

* * *

"Mr. Mellark?"

Peeta glanced up from his desk to find Katniss approaching him. She looked tired, dark rings surrounding her eyes. He felt a pang of sympathy for her; graduation was nearing and, while her classmates were looking forward to beginning their new lives, she remained in limbo.

"Have a seat, Katniss." Quickly, she sat at the desk in front of him and he looked up from his grading. "What's going on?"

"You haven't answered my texts," she replied. "I know you're disappointed in me."

"Not disappointed." He placed his pen down. "Worried."

"I'm fine," Katniss assured him. "I'll go to junior college, then I can transfer—"

"No." Peeta stood from his seat. He looked to the classroom door—it was closed—before looking to her once more. "That's not good enough. I'm afraid for you, Katniss."

"Afraid of what?" She rose, rounding the desk and towards him. "I'm not a child."

"I know that…God, don't I know that." His hands reached to her, cupping her face. "You're going to burn out here and that part of you that I lo—" He stopped himself. What a hell of a time to realize how he felt. "—admire is just going to fade away. I don't think that I could watch that happen."

Katniss nodded, her grey eyes swimming in unshed tears, as if she had just realized the reason behind their discord.

"I understand." Her hands covered his, warming him and bringing a gentle smile from his lips. "Can you meet me on Friday? At our place?"

Peeta shook his head. "Can't."

She frowned. "Why not?"

"I'm chaperoning the prom."

* * *

"I thought that you couldn't come."

Peeta undid his tie, tossing it onto the large rock, before sitting next to her.

"I got the early chaperone shift." Not to mention, he could never seem to deny her of anything. Katniss stood before him in a long white linen dress and daisy crown. "Why didn't you go to your own prom?"

"It wasn't like I wasn't asked," she said. "But, I was never a dancing kind of girl. You know that."

He picked up her phone, playing a gentle acoustic tune. "But, you're a music kind of girl."

Katniss shrugged. "I'm a walking contradiction." She pushed herself off the rock and turned to look at him. "Anyway, I can't stand dressing up."

"But, you're dressed up now!" He gestured at the delicate, pretty dress. Under the light of the moon, Peeta could see the outline of her body, graceful and curved. "And, you're wearing your hair down…" He settled back, calming the frantic excitement churning in his stomach. "Why am I here?"

She held out her hand. "Will you dance with me?"

He crooked his head at her. "I thought you didn't like dancing."

"Fine. I don't like forced ritualistic dances," Katniss argued. She put her hand on her hips, tapping her foot at him. "I also don't like waiting."

"You're bossy." A familiar set of notes echoed out of her phone. "I know this song."

Peeta hopped off the rock and took her hand, pulling her gently towards him.

"In fact, I danced to this song at my prom." He wrapped an arm around her waist as Katniss settled against him. "The Elvis Presley version, anyway."

"This version is a little different," Katniss explained. "One—it uses a piano. Two—the singer is female."

Peeta chuckled. "I've missed the talkative version of Katniss Everdeen."

She grinned, her cheeks blooming, before her head went to his chest.

" _Wise men say  
Only fools rush in…_"

"Who did you dance with?" she asked.

"Her name was Cashmere," he said, resting his chin on the top of her hair. "A good friend of mine."

Her daisy crown tickled his chin, but Peeta didn't mind. He vowed to remember this feeling as long as he was breathing—the softness of her hair, the sweet scent of her skin, and her heart beating rapidly against his ribcage.

" _Shall I stay?  
Would it be a sin…"_

"Your girlfriend?"

"No, just friends. She liked girls, you see," he explained. "We went to a Sonic Burger afterwards and just watched movies at my place afterwards, instead of doing the after-party thing."

"Peeta Mellark, you have a superhero complex," Katniss declared. Her arms wove around his neck as she gazed up at him. "Saved your lesbian friend and you saved me."

"What do you mean?"

They pulled apart slightly and she smiled at him.

"I've decided to go NYU. I called them and told them that I would be there for the Spring Semester since I missed the deadline for Fall."

"What made you decide?" he asked her.

"You."

" _Take my hand,  
Take my whole life, too  
For I can't help falling in love with you…"_

"After the graduation ceremony, I'm leaving," she explained.

Peeta felt himself falter at her words. "So soon?"

"If I don't go then, I won't have the courage to ever go." Katniss took a breath. "Prim understands. She's going to cover for me and tell my parents that I'm at a graduation party. But, I'll actually be on the first bus out of District 12."

He mustered up an encouraging smile for her. "That's great, Katniss. I'm real proud of you."

"Peeta, I want you to come with me."

The air around them turned still.

"What?" he sputtered in shock.

"Think about it—me, you, and Manhattan." Her eyes burned with ferventness at the thought. "I mean, you know how I feel…and I think that you feel the same way. We could do it. We could leave all of this…leave District 12—together. All you have to do is say yes."

Peeta felt her slip something into his hands.

"I know this is a lot to think about," she said softly. "Next Friday night, meet me here. I'll be getting on the ten o'clock bus."

Gathering her things, Katniss made her way towards the clearing to exit the woods.

"By the way, I answered your last prompt."

He looked up, but she was already gone before he could reply.

Peeta realized that her journal was still in his grasp.

Going to their rock, he leaned back to read her answer to his question: _What do you want most in the world?_

Flipping to the bookmarked page, he found her answer.

 _You._

* * *

"What are you doing up?"

Delly turned on the light of their living room. Wrapping her robe around herself, she joined Peeta on their couch. He had spent a lot of the night looking through their old albums and reading his journals, trying to figure out when he had changed.

"Couldn't sleep," he replied. Closing the album, Peeta turned to his wife. "Are you happy?"

Delly looked at him, her expression confused. "What do you mean?"

"Are you content with everything? With us?"

She sat back, contemplating his question before answering, "Of course. Aren't we supposed to be?"

No, they weren't just supposed to be. That wasn't the point of it all and Peeta desperately wanted her to understand. Something, however, told him that she wouldn't despite how much he explained it.

"Yes, I suppose we are," he replied and Delly rested her head on his shoulder.

He closed his eyes, willing sleep to find him.

Peeta knew it wouldn't.

Because as of two minutes ago, Friday had arrived.

* * *

The ceremony had gone off without a hitch. Peeta sat with the rest of the staff on stage—thankfully, far from Coriolanus but next to Effie, who gave him a timid smile. He was infamous in the break room now. Next to Effie sat Haymitch, who peered at him as each of the students received their diploma.

Katniss was right in the middle of the rows of burgundy-gowned students, looking intently at the stage. His gaze went to the stands and he found Prim along with the Everdeens. Prim was obviously her mother's daughter while Katniss favored her father's olive features.

When Katniss walked across the stage to receive her diploma, her smoky eyes flitted to him for just a mere second. It didn't stop his chest from constricting at the sight of her wearing pearls and high heels. She looked like a woman and not the argumentative girl from his English Lit classroom.

Following the ceremony, he met Delly who gave him a quick hug. "You looked great up there."

"Thanks." His eyes scanned the crowd quickly for Katniss. "Did you get some good photos?"

His wife nodded, following his gaze. "Are you looking for someone?"

"No," he replied. "I was supposed to speak to Haymitch, but maybe he's gone back to his office."

"Mr. Mellark!"

Katniss was like sunshine as she rushed toward them. Behind her, Prim followed with Mr. and Mrs. Everdeen at a much slower pace.

"Katniss," he greeted with a smile. "Congratulations."

"Thank you." She was breathless from running. Her eyes went to Delly. "Hello, I'm Katniss Everdeen, a student of your husband—actually, as of a few minutes ago, a former student."

"This is my wife, Delly," he told her. Katniss already knew who she was, having read their whole story in his journal. "Katniss is my best English Literature student."

"Nice to meet you, Katniss," Delly said congenially.

"Hey Mr. Mellark!" Prim bounced to them, her intricate side braid echoing her movement. "Can't wait to see you next year!"

"Me, too." His eyes went briefly to Katniss. "I might not be your teacher next year, but feel free to stop by my classroom."

"These are my parents." Katniss gestured to the handsome-looking couple, maybe two to three years older than he was. "Charlie and Grace Everdeen."

Peeta shook each of their hands. "It's a pleasure to meet you both." He turned to Delly. "My wife, Delly."

"It's a pleasure to meet you both," Mr. Everdeen said before looking to Peeta. "Katniss enjoyed your class very much."

"She was a pleasure to teach," Peeta said truthfully. "And, I have no doubt that she's going to be taking the world by storm."

"High marks coming from my husband," Delly added with a smile.

Katniss was crimson at their words. "We should probably get going. We're having a celebration lunch before I head off to that graduation party." She gave Peeta and Delly a final smile. "Goodbye."

"Goodbye Katniss," Delly said. "And, good luck."

Peeta didn't respond.

He would have his say later on.

* * *

"It's late," Delly remarked as she put lotion on her hands then pulled back their sheets to sit on their bed. "Are you sure that you want to go to this party?"

"The kids invited me and I don't want to let them down," he told her. "Don't worry about me."

"You know I don't," she replied, her blue eyes rimmed with concern. "You've been so taciturn lately. I don't know what to make of it."

"Old person moodiness, I suppose." He went to her and kissed her forehead. "I'll be back."

"Okay." Delly nodded, smiling gently. "See you later."

Peeta walked out of the room, trying to keep himself from faltering. Slowly, he descended the stairs and out the front door. Because it was summer, the sun had just set on their suburban neighborhood. It was silent except for the sounds of cricket chirps and some neighbor's lawn being watered.

Was he really doing this?

A strange calm had fallen over District 12, as if he was the only resident of this grey town. His footsteps echoed loudly on the gravel and he shuffled along looking at each and every building as he entered the main part of town. His eyes went to the Everdeen Diner and he let out an anxious breath before walking past it and into edge of the forest.

It was a quarter to ten when he reached their spot. Katniss was there waiting for him wearing a pretty floral dress and a jean jacket, a single suitcase by her side.

She smiled at him before her eyes went to his empty hands. "You pack light."

Peeta sighed, shaking his head. "You know that we can't do this."

"Why?" Katniss rushed up to him, stopping just barely before their chests could meet. She looked up at him, her eyes questioning. "I thought that you wanted to get out of here…I thought you wanted more." His heart stopped seeing her eyes begin to water. "I thought—"

His hands went to her shoulders to steady her. "I do."

He ached for Katniss. His stomach was at knots at the sight of her, and her laugh—so many times, Peeta wanted to pull her close at the sound. Even now, the sight of her tears made him want to press his lips to her cheeks.

Then Peeta thought of the repercussions—of how much she'd lose out on if they were together.

"But you can't have me hanging around you," Peeta finished. "Not when you have the world to take over."

She wiped her eyes against the sleeve of her jacket. "Why can't we do it together?"

"We have a connection that can't be denied, but there are some lines that just can't be crossed."

God, did he want to. He knew that if they crossed that line, there was no turning back.

"Teacher, mentor…friend." Katniss smiled wryly, her mouth twisting at the last label. "We could be so much more if you came with me."

"You need to find your own way." Peeta lifted her trembling chin. "I know it's scary, but the world is going to love you, Katniss Everdeen. It's going to love you so much."

"And, you don't love me," she said despondently. "I get it."

"That's almost exactly the opposite of what I meant." His own eyes watered. "I'm in so deep, Katniss, that I'm not sure how I'll get out once you're gone. I do know, however, that this is the best for you and that fact alone will help me find my way."

"I have to go," she told him, attempting a brave smile. "My bus is going to leave without me."

Nodding, Peeta pulled her close, embracing her gently, and slipping the slim card with Cashmere's number into her jean pocket. He had looked her up and discovered that she was living in Brooklyn with her partner. His friend agreed to house Katniss for as long as she needed.

"Close your eyes, Peeta," Katniss whispered against him. "Close them tight."

He did as she requested, his breath shaky and his heart akimbo.

Soft lips pressed to the corner of his mouth, gentle and sure.

Once Peeta opened his eyes, she was gone.

* * *

 _Ten Years Later…_

"What's your name, sweetheart?"

The freckled teenager beamed at Katniss before replying, "Emily."

Quickly, she scribbled a message to sweet Emily, who reminded her a lot of Prim. Her sister was currently in the Bay Area, working as a consultant for a fashion website. She would be joining Katniss in Manhattan in about two weeks for Christmas.

Emily held the signed book to her chest. "Miss Everdeen, may I ask you a question?"

Katniss sat back in her chair. "Of course."

The teenager blushed. "The Teacher—is he real?"

Sitting back, Katniss smiled. "Yes. He is very real."

Johanna Mason, her agent, stepped in after Katniss and Emily took a photo together.

"You have the Q & A in five minutes," she informed Katniss. "Sign your last book and let's get you set up at the podium."

Katniss nodded tiredly and with a wink, Johanna dashed off to speak to the owner of the small bookstore.

The open cover of her book was placed in front of her.

"You know I was going to ask the same question as Emily." Katniss glanced at the hand, holding the book open—worn, strong, long fingers—no ring, but she could see the fading of a tan line where one once was. "Beat me to the punch, I guess."

"Teenagers. They're quite keen on romance," she remarked before looking up. "What—"

Peeta Mellark stood before her—worn, strong, and long, just like his hands. "Hello, Katniss."

She was already rounding the table, her arms wrapping around his neck. He stiffened before falling into her touch, his arms going around her waist.

Katniss pressed her lips to the barest bit of his skin along his collar. "Hello, Mr. Mellark."

They pulled apart and he raised her chin with his finger, winking at her. "Peeta."

And, she shivered—damn, did she still shivered for him.

"Hello, Peeta."

* * *

Would you be interested in more? Feedback would be awesome.

Characters mentioned: Bridget Jones (Bridget Jones Diary), The Ghost of Christmas Past (A Christmas Carol), Sydney Carton (A Tale of Two Cities), Tita De La Garza (Like Water For Chocolate)

Song: Can't Help Falling in Love-Haley Reinhart (Original performed by Elvis Presley)

Until Part Two, JLaLa


	2. Part Two

Y'all are amazing! Thank you for your encouragement. Now, onto Part Two.

The characters of The Hunger Games Trilogy do not belong to me.

The Teacher

 _Part Two_

Katniss couldn't believe it.

Peeta was there.

Peeta Mellark was standing across the small bookstore, past the rows of filled chairs, leaning against the bookshelf that held the numerous works of Shakespeare, his arms crossed and a warm smile on his lips.

That fire in her belly roared, kindled at his presence.

"Miss Everdeen?" A man stood up from his chair and she nodded at the lanky fellow with a barbell through his nose. "I was wondering if there was any inspiration for 'The Teacher' character. Is there an actual person whom the character was based on? Or, was 'The Teacher' a more metaphorical being?"

She grinned at the man. "That seems to be a popular question." Her eyes went to Peeta briefly before continuing. "In some ways, it's both. There _is_ a man that 'The Teacher' is based on, but to spare his privacy he is not specifically named. However, 'The Teacher' can also be interpreted as a metaphorical character—as the hard lesson that we all have to learn in order to grow up."

The man nodded in comprehension before sitting down. "Thank you, ma'am."

"Ma'am? You're making me feel old!" The crowd laughed at her words. "Not that I'm complaining. There were many times when I was a teenager that I was desperate to be older."

Katniss blushed, recalling the way she had cried in front of Peeta over still being a kid.

An older woman stood up and gave her a kindly smile. "It seems that there was a very close, almost romantic relationship between Piper and The Teacher. Have I read that correctly?"

Katniss took a shaky breath, knowing that Peeta was listening.

"I think there is always that hope," she said. "And, as far as the story is concerned, it is up to the reader to interpret—" Her gaze caught Peeta's. "But, on my end, I wanted more."

Clove, the owner of the store, went to the podium.

"We're now concluding the Q & A, but I'd like to thank Katniss Everdeen for being gracious enough to attend as well as for signing your copies of _The Teacher_. Give her a hand!"

There was a full round of applause and Katniss waved to everyone before stepping down from the podium on the makeshift stage.

Johanna rushed towards her. "You did really well, hon!" She put an arm around Katniss' shoulders. "Now are you going to tell me about that hot little number standing by those books?"

Katniss looked to her. "It's him."

Johanna raised a brow. "Him?" She looked over at Peeta who was browsing the section before whipping back to Katniss. "Oh— _him_!"

"Yes." Katniss took in a nervous breath. "'The Teacher' himself."

"Then, why are you standing here?" Johanna shoved her in Peeta's direction. "Go get him, take him home, and teach him a lesson—if you know what I mean."

"You talking about me?"

They turned to find Peeta standing next to them.

"No!" Katniss shook her head, an embarrassed chuckle falling from her lips. "We really weren't!"

"That was convincing," Johanna remarked with a roll of her eyes. "I'm Johanna, Katniss' agent—and I'm going to go somewhere else so Katniss can get her head out of her ass."

"Peeta Mellark." He reached and Johanna shook his hand. "I'll be helping Katniss pull her head out of her ass—if she agrees to have dinner with me—"

"I'd like that," Katniss quickly interrupted. "Not the whole ass thing, but dinner would be great."

"Yes, save the ass for the second date," Johanna stated before kissing Katniss' cheek. "I'll see you later, love." She nodded at Peeta. "Have her home at a reasonable hour."

With that, Johanna turned and headed out of the building, cellphone on her ear.

Peeta looked to Katniss with a nervous smile on his face. "Any suggestions for dinner?"

Katniss relaxed at the familiarity of his smile; how it lit up his handsomely angular features.

She held out her hand and he took it without hesitation, entwining their fingers.

Her breath left her body at the sensation, but she managed to answer.

"I know a place."

* * *

"This place is very you," Peeta remarked after they had finished ordering.

"Because it's a diner?" Katniss removed her coat, placing it on the empty spot on her side of the booth. "I guess District 12 life has never really left me."

"And, your parents?" he asked. "How did that go for you?"

"They were angry, of course." Angry was an understatement. They were livid for close to a year after she left. "But, we're working our way back to being close again. They actually came to visit recently when I got my new apartment last year. I couldn't stay at Cashmere and Johanna's anymore—"

"So Johanna is Cashmere's partner?" Peeta asked and she nodded in affirmation. "I can see how that works; she always had a thing for witty brunettes. Her first crush was a girl named Enobaria, our student body president, who was very smart yet very blunt."

"Cashmere is the pushy but loveable mother that I needed," Katniss told him. "And, Johanna, the overprotective father."

She and Johanna had been there when Katniss' parents refused to speak to her that first year away. They sat up with her as she worked through her homesickness. They found ways for her to send presents and messages to Prim when her parents severed communication between the sisters.

"And, why did you end up moving?" Peeta asked as a waitress placed their cups on the table, along with a pot of coffee between them.

"They needed the room." Katniss reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone. Opening it, she searched until she found the photo she was looking for. "This is Cara, their daughter."

Peeta examined the photo of the little girl with Cashmere's blue eyes, sitting on Katniss' lap with a pumpkin in her hands.

"She's five and very precocious," she continued, taking the pot and pouring them each a cup. "She's also my goddaughter."

"She obviously adores you," Peeta remarked. He looked to her before taking a sip from his cup. "Not like that's difficult."

Katniss leaned back, her face warming—but she managed to keep her cool.

"And you, Peeta. What's been going on with you?"

"I continued teaching for a while," he answered. "Your sister's class was the last class I taught at Panem High before I became superintendent of District 12. I've been doing that ever since."

"Somehow you found your way here." She looked at her cup, reaching for the milk and sugar to distract herself. "Why?"

"I've kept away because it was what was best," Peeta began. "You needed time. Then out of nowhere, I received an e-mail from Cashmere telling me that I just had to come to _your_ book signing." He smiled to himself before meeting her eyes. "It was a beautiful story, Katniss."

"It was us," she told him simply.

"I read the whole thing at our spot," he replied with a grin. "And, I knew that I had to come."

"You didn't answer my question." Katniss pressed forward. "Why are you here?"

"Because I needed to know."

"Know what?"

Peeta gazed at her tenderly, resting his elbows on the table before he responded.

"I needed to know if everything in your book was true—that time hasn't changed us…that years later and with everything that you and I have gone through, that you still felt the same…that you and I aren't just immortalized in your story…that we are real."

Katniss pushed herself out of her side of the booth and scooted into his, their sides pressing and her head going to his shoulder.

She closed her eyes remembering the smell of the forest—the smell of Peeta.

And, Katniss felt his arm wrap around her, bringing her close, and the intimate brush of his lips on her hair.

"Yes to all of it, Peeta. We are real and this time, I'm not letting you go."

* * *

"You leaving was an eye-opener. I had every intention of telling Delly that we needed to separate, but when I got home, I found her still awake—reading my journal."

Katniss winced, looking at the wet ground, as they walked along the empty street. "Whoa."

"She was upset," Peeta continued. "Not because of what I wrote—but, because it was all true." He smiled tightly. "And, there was someone else in-between us."

She stopped, turning to him, her stare concerned. "Did she find out about me?"

He shook his head. "Turns out that Delly had an…inkling…for someone that she was working for. Nothing happened, but she admitted that she was attracted to him."

"Crazy." They crossed the street, arms entwined as they entered a small park. "And, now?"

"Delly and Thom are happily married." Peeta led her to a bench and they both took a seat. "They have two very sweet children; a boy and a girl—Parker and Millie, ages 5 and 6."

"That's so weird." Katniss shook her head and grinned at him. "Now, tell me something even more crazy."

Peeta mused for a moment before replying, "Well, Haymitch and Effie got married."

"No!" She stomped her feet in shock. "Miss Trinket and Mr. Abernathy?"

"That kind of took everyone by surprise," he recalled. "They're expecting twins in the Spring."

"It's weird when teachers have real lives…" Katniss colored, realizing her words. "Except for you, of course."

"You haven't thought about me in that way for a long while," Peeta pointed out.

"No." Katniss looked out at the serene park, watching a weeping willow sway, cradled by a small lake, swaying lazily in front of them. "In fact, I like to think that we were never apart."

"Then, why did I miss you so much?" he quipped.

She examined him in the moonlight; there was a little bit more of a roughness in his features. Appearance-wise, there were slight lines on his face showing the strain of the past years, but Katniss still felt the same youthfulness of the man that had become her friend in the forest.

"I miss me, too." Katniss chuckled at his raised brow. "I mean, Katniss from District 12 is long gone. Katniss of Manhattan now resides in here." She waved along herself before reaching to cup his cheek, so many times before had she wanted to do it. "But—both Katniss' missed you, too."

She looked to the weeping willow, trying to hide her blush.

"So, how long are you here for?" she asked, hoping to change the subject.

Peeta winked roguishly at her and she swore that something fluttered in her stomach.

"There was another reason that Cashmere wrote me," he told her. "There's an opening at—I suspect, Cara's school—for a new principal. I have an interview on Monday."

Katniss gasped. She'd grill Cashmere later on. "What will you do until then?"

Peeta reached, lifting her chin to brush his thumb against her bottom lip.

"That's up to you."

* * *

"I cried the whole time on the bus."

The subway train rumbled under them as they zoomed through the underground tunnel at the cusp of midnight. Katniss rested against Peeta, her hand in his, and their heads pressed together.

Peeta put an arm protectively around her. "Really?"

"Yes. I guess part of me was still a little hurt that you had said no." Katniss turned, her chin going delicately into his shoulder. "I wanted you so badly."

"It was the right decision," he intoned, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "I don't regret it."

"I know. In the end, it was what was right," Katniss assured him. "I looked like a sloppy mess when I made it over to Cashmere and Johanna's. They took one look at me and brought me to my room. Cashmere made me matzo ball soup and Johanna combed out my hair. I slept for a week." She gave him a tremulous smile. "And, you—your first week?"

"Working out our divorce," Peeta replied dryly. "I gave Delly the house and we split the rest. It was a very amicable separation."

"It shouldn't have been," she pointed out.

"We just grew apart…we became more like roommates, really," he said. "But at the core of it all was friendship and I'm happy that we're friends. It was hard at first, especially hard when she remarried, but Delly is happy."

"And you?"

"I'm getting there." Peeta smiled at her. "You're helping."

"I hope so." Her hand reached for his. "I just want you to be happy."

"Ditto." He took a deep breath, grimacing at the smell of train cart. "I'll need to get used to that."

Katniss chuckled. "It takes time. I think I spent six months riding trains and getting lost in this city until one day, I found my way back into myself. By then, my Spring Semester started and I just concentrated on school. I got a job as at hostess at a restaurant close to Cashmere and Johanna's place, where I spent most of my weekends."

"And, boys? Any of them come around?"

"There were dates," she said slowly, inhaling slowly before let out a breath between her lips. "They were all blond, blue-eyed, and intelligent—but they never quite made the cut."

"Because you don't believe in falling in love, right?" Peeta quirked a brow at her, a playful grin on his face. "Isn't that what you told me?"

"I may have been exaggerating." Katniss shifted in her seat. "The first time I saw you, I thought you were cute. But then, every girl thought you were—and some of the closeted boys, too." Her hand went to his hair, feeling soft waves along her fingers as Peeta closed his eyes and sighed. "But, I didn't fall for just this adorable mop of gold. I fell for a man who treated his books like his children, who spoke prose like a sermon. I wanted you to love me like you loved your authors."

"I don't want to love you like that." His hand went to her shoulder, moving his thumb moving along the thin fabric of her blouse. "I want to love you in a way that's all our own. I want us to have our own story. We're writers. It's our responsibility to create the kind of story we want."

"But there are some things that just can't be created," Katniss pointed out. "Some things just are—like us."

Peeta nodded, pulling her close. "Exactly."

* * *

"I've been writing. Not as much as I like because I've been busy with work."

Katniss clucked at him. "Shame, shame."

They walked down the street, blue cups of coffee in their hands. They had found the coffee and donut shop when they got off at their stop. Wanting to keep their night going, they were grateful for the caffeine rush.

"I've kept up with my journal though," Peeta continued. Reaching into his bag, he pulled out a leather notebook. "There's about five more of these at my place."

"I've been keeping a journal, too," Katniss replied. "The one that I had before I left District 12 lasted until I started my first semester at NYU." She reached for his journal, thumbing through is familiar cursive. "May I?"

"Of course," he agreed. "And, me? Do I get to read your journal?"

"Yes." They stopped in front of a brownstone and Katniss nodded at the building. "They're in there."

Peeta grinned ruefully. "And, by there you mean…"

"My apartment," she replied before reaching into her bag to fish out her keys. "Do you want to come in?"

There was no hesitation. "Yes."

Taking his hand, they climbed the steps, stopping at the double doors. Her hand shaking, she went to insert the key into the hole and, in an attempt to calm herself, Katniss took a deep breath.

Before promptly dropping her keys.

"Shit!"

"Allow me." He was behind her as she straightened herself, his arm reaching around her and his chest against her back. Katniss closed her eyes, feeling his breath against her ear. "You okay?"

"Must be the coffee," she breathed out.

"Of course…the coffee," Peeta said with a quiet chuckle. He easily unlocked the door with a resounding click, before turning the knob. "After you."

They ascended her stairs in silence as Katniss led him into her living room. Her new place was her pride and joy; it had been six months of searching between Brooklyn, Queens, and Manhattan before she chose her home in the Upper West Side, only blocks from the Natural History Museum.

Cashmere had styled the place for her, choosing comfortable, neutral furnishings for her pseudo-sister. The paintings were sent by Prim, whose friends were part of the art world. Her sister's dorm mate was Rue Jennings, an up and coming artist, who had been gracious enough to design the book cover for _The Teacher_.

Katniss turned the switch on the adjoining wall, filling the room the light, before rotating the knob to dim the intensity. Peeta looked around the room, taking in her humble décor. She had very little time to personalize it since Johanna had her on a rigorous bookstore tour to promote the book.

Peeta, however, managed to find the one sole piece in the living room that was her.

The tall, thin bookshelf in the corner of the room.

He approached it, looking over her book choices, before picking up her worn copy of _The Secret Garden_. His fingers brushed along the cloth cover with its faded gold wording.

The way Peeta examined the book, so reverently, was the way she had always hoped that he'd look at her. She had always watched him, waited patiently for him to find his way when in those later years he looked so lost.

As a girl, Katniss had always had a strong sense of who she was. And, her young self had loved him, even in the worst of times.

Her present self felt that tenderness rising seeing him in front of her, bringing fire back into her core.

"It was the only book I took with me from District 12," she explained. "I had to have one thing…since I couldn't have what I really wanted."

Peeta approached her and she took a deep breath, pushing both her anticipation and nervousness aside.

His hand reached for the nape of her neck, gently pressing his thumb on along the base.

"You know how badly…how much I wanted…" His eyes moved her and Katniss could see the ache in them. It was the same kind of want that lit her belly as she stared at the man before her; her hand tracing along his squared jawline. "Katniss."

Her feet found their way forward. "What?"

"Close your eyes, Katniss," he whispered. "Close them tight."

She followed, relishing her last words to him.

When his mouth found hers, the remnants of their goodbye had vanished. His lips were wind-chapped but soft. His kiss, however, was full of hunger—demanding. Her arms wove around his neck and she surged forward, falling slowly into their joining.

A moan escaped from her lips and his tongue swept into her mouth, muffling the sound with his neediness to taste.

It felt like a nanosecond and they were suddenly apart, foreheads pressed, and breath hard.

"I want more," she managed to say between breaths. "Stay with me."

Peeta beamed and warmth surged through Katniss' body seeing him so sweet and boyish.

"Yes." He kissed her once more, gently this time. "Always."

* * *

' _Last night, I woke up in a cold sweat. Usually, I can fall right back to sleep, but something kept nagging at me._

 _Then it came to me: today is Katniss' 25_ _th_ _birthday._

 _At 25, Delly and I were still living at her parents' house. We thought we had the world at our feet and time in our hands._

 _Knowing Katniss, she already has the world at her feet._

 _I still dream about her, about our time in the forest…about our dance. And, I wonder if someone is holding her at this very moment, dancing with her in celebration._

 _I just keep telling myself; I did what was right._

 _But I always wonder if she ever thinks of me_.'

Katniss looked up from the open journal in her hands, looking to the man across from her on the couch. The soles of their feet pressed together since neither of them wanted to lose contact. Peeta was knee-deep in her own journal, brows furrowed in concentration as he read.

"When I turned 25, Cashmere and Johanna presented me with a brand new laptop before Cara threw up all over me. After I showered, I read _Sense and Sensibility_ and fell asleep by ten."

Peeta set her journal on his lap. "I would've thought that one of your beaus would've taken you out."

Katniss reached behind her and threw a pillow at him. "Beau?" She settled back with a laugh. "Plus, the guy I was seeing at the time was hooking up with someone else on my birthday."

He grimaced at her words. "Ouch."

"And, if you were here—what would we have done?" she questioned.

"Dinner," he said in a matter-of-fact tone. "Your favorite movie at our place. I would've baked you a cake. My parents used to own a bakery, so I know a thing or two about pastries and such."

"Our place." Katniss felt her mouth lift at the thought of coming home to Peeta…cooking dinner with Peeta…arguing over books with Peeta…sleeping with Peeta… "Would there be sex?"

"It's your birthday," he told her easily, amusement in his eyes. "Of course."

"You would've been my first—" Katniss worded carefully. "—if it had all worked out."

She put his journal on her coffee table before going to her knees and crawling to his side.

Peeta welcomed her, placing her journal aside, before holding his arms out for her to rest her head against his chest.

He embraced her. "I would've been honored. Freaked as hell—but honored."

"His name was Cato," she started. "We went on a couple of dates and one day, it just happened." Katniss looked up at him. "You know how you told me about you and Delly deciding that it was the natural order of things to just get married?"

His hand rested on her back. "Yes, I remember."

"It was sort of the same thing," Katniss said. "There was no romance behind it. It just was."

"I'm sorry," he said softly, his look full of regret for her. "It is probably better that it wasn't you and me for your first time. It might have been awful."

"I don't believe that," she replied firmly. "It would have been good." Her eyes closed, feeling the rise and fall of his chest. "It would be after we moved in together. It would be raining."

"It would be morning." Katniss felt his breath hitch as she burrowed deeper against him. "Your favorite time for writing. I would wake, hearing you scribble in your journal."

"I sleep in your shirt," she continued, sitting up just enough to meet his eyes. "And, because I tend to get warm in my sleep, I don't wear pants." Peeta's pallor colored at her description. "Your shirt is loose and it tends to fall off my shoulder."

"Scoot," Peeta told her and she shifted to sit back against his chest. His arms reached, enveloping her. "I wake up and find you writing, hair loose and shirt falling off your shoulder. I've always been fascinated with how deeply rich your skin was."

Moving her hair to one side, his lips were at her neck and Katniss sighed, pressing her knees shut.

"You would reach over and I put my journal down before kissing you." Katniss looked up at his parted lips before stamping her mouth briefly over his in a wet kiss. "And, your hand would reach to unbutton my shirt."

She took his hand, placing it at the center of her blouse to the trail of buttons, his palm lightly resting against her breast.

"Katniss…" His voice was thick and she squirmed at the huskiness, her center pooling with fire, needing to be quenched. "Should we?"

It was not a hard decision to make, seeing that just his voice made her want to cover his body with hers.

She nodded, standing and pulling him up towards the direction of her bedroom. "Let's go."

Peeta followed in an eager daze, his arms around her waist and his mouth going to her neck.

"We're not going to make to the room if you keep doing that," she chided.

He laughed into her skin. "I'm older, I don't think my knees could take anything on a hardwood floor."

"Who said that you'd be the one on the floor?" she countered before pushing her door open.

Her bedroom was messy; that afternoon, she was in a rush and nervous about the book signing. Clothes littered the ground, a bra hung from one of her bedposts, and ruined pairs of stockings vomited from the garbage next to the door.

"I like it," Peeta remarked as he walked in and sat on her bed. "Very nervous writer décor."

Katniss smacked her hand to her forehead in frustration…and horniness.

"Damnit!" She went to him, giving him a quick kiss. "I can be sexier after I've used the bathroom."

He reached to cup her cheek, his gaze soft. "I highly doubt that."

She nearly fell to her knees right there, but righted herself quickly. "Two minutes!"

Katniss rushed to her bathroom, next to the walk-in closet that had been the apartment's biggest selling point.

Quickly, she closed the door and ran her sink before grabbing her toothbrush to get rid of her coffee breath. Opening the mirror cabinet in front of her, she reached for her deodorant and the Marc Jacobs perfume that Johanna insisted she should get for 'nighttime fun'.

Untucking her shirt and quickly removing her bra, Katniss shimmied out of her skirt before tossing everything into the hamper.

Stepping into the bedroom, she turned off the light and looked to Peeta—

Who was now sleeping, one foot on the bed and the other hanging off the floor.

She sighed; it was nearly four in the morning—what the hell did she expect?

Quietly walking over, Katniss easily removed his shoes and moved his hanging leg onto her mattress. He remained asleep, easily scooting with her help to rest much more fully on the bed.

After, she made her way to her side and slipped under the blankets, covering them both.

Her eyes went to the slumbering man in front of her.

"You belong here," she told him.

Then, Katniss slept.

* * *

The room was cold.

Peeta awoke, his eyes adjusting to the quiet light of morning filling the room. He looked up seeing the large canvas about the steel bedpost…and the bra hanging from it.

Slowly, he turned finding a peacefully sleeping Katniss, long hair draping her face and dress shirt slightly opened, revealing sweet olive skin to his longing gaze.

She was beautiful under any light; in the dimness of the night, in their sun-filled forest, and there in the grey glow of morning.

Shifting towards her, Peeta reached to move the hair from her face, just brushing against soft, rosy lips.

He had kissed those lips last night.

"It's raining."

Katniss looked up at him, a sleepy grin lighting her pretty face.

The soft sound of rain hit her ceiling and Peeta met her eyes, smiling back.

"So it is." His hand went to expose a slender shoulder before his lips went to taste olive sweetness. She arched at his kiss and his usual morning erection awoke at the motion. "Beautiful."

"I still love you, you know," Katniss said suddenly, her grey eyes wide. "I know it's silly since we're just meeting again."

"No, it's not," he assured her gently. His hand moved to cup her cheek. "I don't think you ever really left my heart. It's like you just unlocked your door for me."

She let out a light laugh. "I can see why you're a writer."

Her hand was suddenly drifting down his chest, unbuttoning and unbuckling his pants as she moved underneath him. Her hand around his length, Katniss stroked gently, and he nearly came undone. A garbled cry tumbled from his mouth when her thumb suddenly moved eagerly to his head, spreading the wetness of pre-cum onto the bundled of nerves of his tip.

He bit down on his lip, telling himself not to come. "Katniss…"

"Katniss?"

The soft voice cut through the heated air and he suddenly found himself tumbling to the floor as Katniss tossed him off her in haste. He hit the ground on his tailbone and yelped at the shot of pain that rushed along his back.

"Oh shit!" Katniss peeked over from where she knelt on her mattress looking down at him. "Are you okay?"

He stared up at her, still in shock, but nodded after a moment. "Yes, just getting my bearings."

"Did I just interrupt a firstie?"

Quickly fixing himself, Peeta peeked up to see a statuesque blonde at the doorway, practically bouncing in mirth at the sight before her.

"Hey, Mr. Mellark."

He gave the girl a weak wave.

"Hey Prim."

* * *

There were several places that I had planned for this to stop, but this seemed right.

We've gotten through the past, now in the present, and next—past and present collide.

You'll find that they've kind of been intertwined all along.

Well, we got a kiss in there, but nothing else—for now.

I'm saving that for a little later, like when it gets a little messier.

Anyway, I hope you are enjoying so far.

If you're interested in a lot of the past characters and where they are—or if our couple will ever encounter them—don't worry. We'll get there.

I'll be working on the next chapter of FTL this upcoming week so there's a little leeway for you to take this all in.

As always, feedback is appreciative, but just a happy face would do as well.

Next, Part Three—a reunion of sorts.

Until then, JLaLa


	3. Part Three

Your responses have been overwhelmingly lovely! I'm so happy to present you with the final part of this story!

The characters of The Hunger Games Trilogy do not belong to me.

The Teacher

 _Part Three_

Peeta never thought that he'd find himself in this situation.

From across the round table, he watched Prim Everdeen pour an obscene amount of syrup on her waffles before stabbing at one and stuffing it in her mouth—all in one gulp. For someone so slender, her appetite was a sight to behold.

She suddenly looked up at him, her blue eyes wide and her mouth half-full. "Are you going to eat that?"

He looked down at his still-full plate before offering his serving.

Prim smiled widely before forking his pile of bacon and putting it on her plate.

From the kitchen, Katniss gave him an apologetic smile as she easily flipped a pancake in the griddle. He grinned back, his chest warming watching her so content in her task. A sudden image of her doing the same thing at _their_ home rushed into his mind.

It was not a bad picture.

Prim snapped her fingers in his face. "Mr. Mellark? You good?"

"Please don't call me 'Mr. Mellark'," he pleaded. Katniss chuckled from the kitchen at his request. "Not after—"

"I caught Katniss with her hand down your pants?" Prim finished with a smirk. "What should I call you?" She bit into a piece of bacon, her blue eyes dancing with laughter. "Big brother?"

"Prim, we barely got to second base—" Katniss said as she joined them, placing a plate of pancakes on the table. She put a short stack on Peeta's plate before scooting onto his lap. Instinctively, his arm rounded her waist to keep her from slipping off. "—thanks to someone coming _very_ unannounced."

"Sorry!" Prim didn't sound at all apologetic. "Just wanted to see my big sister!" She smiled in mock-innocence. "You should've texted me: ' _Don't come to my apartment. I'm busy giving Mr. Mellark the 'Five Fingers of Fury'!'_ "

Peeta, in the middle of drinking from his mug, just managed to gulp down without choking. "The what?"

"You know! 'Disciplining the Octopus'…'Making Toothpaste'…'Amish Birth Control'?" Prim raised a brow at him in exasperation. "Any of this making sense?"

Katniss put her hands up in surrender. "Okay, I think we've freaked Peeta out enough." She looked to her sister. "I'm very happy that you've come earlier. And, you can call Peeta…Peeta. He's not your teacher anymore."

"Well, he's sure as hell not your teacher anymore either," Prim retorted, eyeing them. "Unless that's your thing."

Katniss swiveled to face him. "Are you freaked out yet?"

"Can you clear up what 'Five Fingers of Fury' means?" he asked her.

"Handjob, _Peeta_ ," Prim said as she cut into her second waffle. "I meant handjob."

Peeta met Katniss' beaming expression. Even if he had a million mornings just as humiliating as this one, he'd do it all just to see that look on her face.

"To answer your question, I'm not freaked out," he assured Katniss. "Not even a little."

Prim placed her fork down and reached into her pocket.

"This might change your mind." She handed Katniss an ivory embossed envelope. "Dropped by the parentals' place before heading over and they gave me this."

Opening the envelope, Katniss pulled out the cardstock and read over it quickly.

"Huh." She placed the card back in its envelope and placed it on the table. "Interesting."

He looked to her. "Is everything okay?"

"It's an invitation—" Katniss told him, her expression deadpan. "—to my high school reunion."

* * *

"So have you decided on going?" Johanna asked. The pen in her hand skimmed the contract in front of her and she shook her head in frustration, letting out a slight growl. "I'm going to call the publisher about this."

"No, I have not decided yet," Katniss replied absently. She stood up, going to the mantle of Johanna and Cashmere's home. Her eyes roamed over the various frames featuring Cara and the couple. She was even in a few of them. "Especially…"

"Because Peeta is still 'Mr. Mellark' there?" Katniss turned to see her friend watching her. "You knew that this relationship wasn't going to be easy, right?"

"I know that," she responded. "I just didn't know it was going to go down the crapper so soon."

"This is a grownup home, you know!" Cashmere walked into the living room. Behind her, Peeta followed with Cara on his shoulders. "That sort of language is not desired nor required."

"My apologies." Katniss went to her surrogate sister and gave her a kiss on the cheek. Then, she went to Peeta and Cara, giving them both a smile. "How did it go?"

Cara tossed her golden curls over her shoulder confidently, tilting herself to meet Peeta's eyes. "He got it."

"Cara seems to know more than I do," Peeta told her, his blue eyes glowing at her. "But, I think it went well."

"Baby girl!" Johanna reached to remove her daughter off of Peeta's shoulders. "You should wash up before starting on your homework." Cara nodded, her legs wrapping around her mother's waist. "Peeta and Katniss need to talk."

"About what?"

"About what to get you for Christmas," Cashmere told her. "I'm going to make you a snack. I'll meet you both in the kitchen."

"We'll be there in a few minutes, babe," Johanna said to her partner. She looked between the couple in front of her. "You two can have your snack after your talk."

"Thanks _Mom_ ," Katniss told Johanna before she disappeared from the living room with Cara. Turning, she reached and placed a kiss on Peeta's lips. "Hi."

Peeta grinned, wrapping his arms around her slender waist. "Hello."

"Did it really go well?" Katniss asked, leading him to the couch.

She joined Peeta and his arm rounded her shoulders to pull her close. "They offered me the job."

Katniss clapped her hands in excitement. "Congratulations!" Her arms wove around his neck as Peeta pulled her onto his lap. "Are you accepting it?"

"What do you think?" he asked her, seriousness in his gaze.

"Do you think you could leave District 12?"

Peeta paused for a moment before nodding slowly. "I think it's time for a change." He lifted her chin teasingly. "Would you mind?"

"Not at all." Her fingers went to his hair and Peeta closed his eyes, a sigh escaping his lips at her tender gesture. "So this reunion…" His eyes shot open. "What do you think?"

"I think that you should go," he told her. "You haven't been back to District 12 and you're kind of a big deal now. Also, wouldn't it be nice to go home?"

"District 12 never really felt like home," she said honestly. Her gaze went to him. "The forest...our boulder…that was about the only place that felt like home. Being with you feels like home." Peeta took her hand kissing the top of it. "Not to mention, _The Teacher_ might bring up some issues for us. My parents haven't read the book, but they get the basic gist of it."

"Would you be ashamed to be seen with me?" Peeta asked, his voice tight.

"Never. Remember, I asked you to leave with me." Katniss rested her forehead to his. "I'd be proud to be seen with you…as my date to the reunion."

He grinned. "Are you asking?"

"Are you accepting?" she countered.

Lifting her chin, Peeta pressed his mouth to hers—she took it as a yes.

* * *

"Peeta!"

"Wow, Effie!" He reached over to give her a hug, careful to not press too close to her burgeoning stomach. "You are a fertility goddess!" Leaning down, Peeta placed a hand on the belly. "Hey Thing 1 and Thing 2!" Looking up, he grinned at the soon-to-be mother. "You sure that there aren't three in there?"

"Are you saying I look fat?" Effie retorted with a faux glare, her mouth suppressing a chuckle.

"No." From his peripheral, Peeta saw Haymitch enter the living room. "I just know how thorough Haymitch likes to be."

"Welcome back, asshole," the man retorted, mirth in his dark eyes.

"Haymitch!" Effie admonished her husband. "We're not introducing crude language into the womb!"

"Fine," Haymitch grumbled. He gestured for Peeta to have a seat on the plush couch in their living room. "Have a seat…a-hole."

Peeta laughed; this would be a difficult few months for his ornery friend. Every other word, not in the classroom, was usually a curse word.

"So how was Manhattan?" Effie asked, sitting next to Peeta. "Was it everything you hoped?"

Peeta nodded, trying to keep his smile at a normal range. Anything bigger than his usual half-smile would look suspicious.

He looked between the couple before continuing, "I got the job."

Haymitch clapped his back. "I knew you would! Sounds like it went in your favor."

"Congratulations, Peeta," Effie added good-naturedly. "You stayed a little longer than expected." She eyed him. "Any particular reason?"

"I hung out with Cashmere," he explained. "She and Johanna are doing well. Their daughter is an intelligent little lady with the blunt charm of both her mothers." Peeta took a breath and looked between the couple. "I also hung out with someone there."

Haymitch sat back in the armchair. "I had my suspicion."

"Oh…tell us more!" Effie leaned forward in interest. "It's been awhile, hasn't it?"

"Keep it real, sweetheart," Haymitch said to his wife. "He hasn't dated at all."

"The reason I'm telling you is that I sort of invited her to District 12," Peeta explained. "Actually, she was already invited."

Haymitch met his eyes. "Spit out whatever you're hiding."

Peeta nodded determinedly. "Do you remember Katniss Everdeen?"

Effie rested back, her light eyes going wide and hands going to her stomach. "Oh shit."

"Not that surprised," Haymitch stated.

"Peeta, you weren't involved with her before, were you?" Effie looked to him in worry. "I remember that whole scene in the teachers' lounge between you and Coriolanus…"

"No, we were friends," he told her honestly. "Nothing happened…then." His memory wandered to Katniss, her head on his shoulder as they sat in her apartment before his flight. She had been nervous about him telling his friends, but had agreed to meet him in District 12. "But I went to her book signing and we just spent the night walking the city and catching up…and it just came back."

Effie stared at him curiously. "What?"

"That flutter in my gut," Peeta said. "I just couldn't let her get away—not when she brought back a feeling that I never thought I would ever feel again."

"The red book in the breakroom," Haymitch mused. "Hers?" Peeta nodded in affirmation. "Thought so." He rested his hands on the armrest, his expression far off. "I saw you."

Peeta peered at his friend. "Saw me?"

"Graduation night. First, Katniss came out of the woods…then you."

"Oh, dear. I thought that nothing happened," Effie said.

"Nothing did." Peeta rested his elbows on the tops of his thighs, his fingers entwined as he remembered that night. "But, that night, Katniss asked me to leave with her. And, God—did I want to."

"Her book is about you…both of you," Haymitch concluded and Peeta nodded again. "If Coriolanus were still alive, he'd have a field day."

"I'm in love with her," Peeta found himself telling them. "I know it's going to be bad. We're willing to face it together. I'm hoping that you'll support us and get to know her since you both are my friends—my only friends, really."

"That's pathetic," Haymitch remarked.

Peeta shook his head in frustration. "I know."

"Are we seriously your only friends?" Effie replied with a small smile and he nodded. "That is _really_ pathetic." She clapped her hands before turning to Peeta. "So when will we meet your…friend?"

The doorbell rang and Peeta went crimson. "I might have invited her to dinner here."

"Let her in!" Effie cried and Haymitch barked out a laugh. "She's your last chance at children!"

Peeta shot up, rushing to the door.

Opening it, he was greeted with the breathtaking sight of Katniss, sophisticated and beautiful in a burgundy dress and tall boots.

"Wow." His hand reached to cup her cheek before drawing her into a kiss. "You look beautiful."

"Maybe it's because you haven't seen me in two days," Katniss replied with a shy smile. "I missed you."

His finger traced the graceful line of her jaw, imprinting every bit of her into his mind. "I missed you, too."

There was a loud sniffle and they turned to find Effie and Haymitch standing in the entryway.

Effie beamed at them, tears in her eyes. "You two are going to have beautiful children!"

Katniss turned to Peeta with a grin. "Am I pregnant?"

"If Effie has her way, you will be," Haymitch told her with a smirk. He held out his hand. "For the first time as your non-teacher entities—Haymitch Abernathy and my hormonal wife, Effie." He put an arm around his wife who smiled through her sobs.

Katniss shook his hand and smiled back. "For the first time as Peeta's…" She looked to him and shrugged. Girlfriend didn't seem quite right. "…whatever—Katniss Everdeen."

* * *

"Peeta is really happy," Effie remarked as they sat down in the living room.

Dinner had gone smoothly with conversation flowing between the foursome. Katniss told the Abernathys about her life in Manhattan; about Cashmere, Johanna, and Cara, as well as the years before she wrote _The Teacher_.

"I remembered him before," Katniss replied. Her eyes went to Peeta and Haymitch, chatting on the smaller set of seats. "He was…emptier." She reached to take a sip from her coffee cup on the table before them. "But then again, so was I."

"I remember those years," Effie admitted. "There was no fire in his eyes." She peered at Katniss. "May I ask—how do you feel about him?"

"I've always loved him, Effie." It felt strange referring to her former teacher by her first name, but it felt good to admit her feelings. "As a girl, it was an admiration that grew to respect when we became friends. Then, friendship grew into love. Do I regret asking him to come with me? No. I've known what I want because I've always known who I am—and, I've always wanted Peeta."

"I always thought you were an intelligent person, Katniss," Effie replied, an easy smile on her face. "Peeta is a good man and we just want him to be happy. If you make him happy, then we have no qualms. We support you, though not everyone will."

"I'm sure." Katniss smiled ruefully. "My parents, for one."

"Oh, and don't forget about your classmates," Effie warned her.

Katniss leaned in interest, a conspiratorial grin on her lips. "Tell me—who's become a bitch and who's a bigger bitch?"

"You remember that one blonde, Glimmer?" Effie said to her and Katniss nodded. "She runs the PTA now and is the Queen Bee of Mommies. She's been telling me to join their Mommy and Me walking class since I got pregnant. I want to stab her between the eyes."

"I remember her," Katniss recalled with a chuckle. "She was a major asshole."

"She's married to that Marvel boy that she was dating in high school." Effie shook her head. "He used to pick his ear with his pencil in my class."

"He used to scratch his ass with the cafeteria forks," Katniss added with a grimace. "My high school reunion should be fun."

"We'll be there—" Effie told her. "—for moral support and because we're obligated as former staff members of Panem High."

Katniss sighed. "At least we'll have two friendly faces."

"Four, if you count the twins." Effie caressed her taut swell affectionately.

"Thank you," Katniss responded with gratitude.

"What are you ladies talking about?" Haymitch called out suddenly.

"My reunion." Katniss bit her lip anxiously. "And, everyone's reaction…" She smiled at Peeta. "…to us."

"Would it make you feel better if I told you that I like being an 'us'?" Peeta told her.

He sat beside her, taking her hand and giving it a squeeze.

Katniss looked into his eyes, feeling that familiar flutter. "More than you realize."

"Okay. You two need to leave," Haymitch groaned. "You're making my wife swoon. When that happens, she gets either really emotional or really horny. I'm not in the mood for either."

"Gross," Peeta told his friend. "But, we are leaving." He stood up, holding his hand out to Katniss who took it. "Katniss hasn't slept and I'm sure she's dying to get to bed."

"You going to tuck her in?" Effie countered.

"Nice one, honey," Haymitch responded with a proud smile.

Katniss shook her head at the couple.

"I know you want us to keep the cursing to the minimum, but—"

She flipped them the bird.

Haymitch guffawed at the gesture. "Katniss, you're going to fit in well with us."

Bidding the couple a final goodbye, Peeta led Katniss out and onto their front porch.

"So, Day One." He put an arm around her. "You breathing?"

"No." Her head went to his shoulder. "But, I will…eventually." She met his eyes. "Where to now?"

"Do you have a place to stay?" he asked her.

She shook her head. "Not at this time of night."

Peeta led her down the porch steps. "Then, come with me."

* * *

Peeta's house was off the beaten path, bordering the forest and the edge of District 12. The one-level rectangular home looked more like a cabin with its wood paneling and green shutters. Katniss stepped onto the porch, smiling down when she saw the welcome mat's greeting: _Writing in Progress_.

"Was there any particular reason why you chose this house?" she asked with a small smile.

Peeta stood next to her, reaching into his pocket and drawing out his keys. Unlocking the door, he turned the brass knob, letting her in first before following her inside.

"I thought that if you were going to come back to District 12, the forest would be the first place you'd visit," he said, reaching for the light switch next to the door. Katniss could see the blush on his cheeks in the soft lighting of the living room. "I know. It sounds weird just saying it out loud."

She didn't respond, though the thought of him pining for her brought a tightness to her chest. How many times had she walked the streets of Manhattan in hot pursuit of a blond man with Peeta's strong profile? There had been too many times to count.

Now, they had all the time in the world to talk about their lives before coming back together.

"Not weird at all," Katniss finally responded. Her eyes went to the cluttered desk in the corner of the wide room. Books were stacked to one side and file folders on the other. A laptop was set up in the middle. "I probably would come to our forest first." She sat in his chair, swiveling to face him. "And, if I had come back? Before you came to Manhattan?"

Peeta approached her, blue eyes darkening, and her breath hitch at his stare.

"Well…I would definitely expect a kiss hello." Bending forward, his hands went to the armrests of the chair. "Hello."

She grinned, her hands reaching to cup his face. Gently, her mouth brushed over his.

"Hello, Mr. Mellark."

Peeta groaned, fire racing through his spine and settling on his bottom half. "I know I shouldn't like that as much as I do."

"I think it has something to do with being at this desk," Katniss told him. "Like this is the kind of scenario that smutty fiction is made for."

He straightened, holding his hand out to her. "You read smutty fiction?"

Katniss waved her hand easily as she stood. "Read it, write it…"

"And, which notebooks are those stories in?" Peeta asked with a cocky smile.

"That's more of a third date kind of revelation," she teased. Her eyes went to the open doorway. "Your room?"

Peeta nodded and together they went into his room. "This place is actually a cabin, if you couldn't tell by its features. The bathroom has screens instead of actual windows." He nodded to the door next to his closet. "I got it for a good price and I don't really need much room."

Katniss let go of his hand, circling the room in silence. She flipped on the lights in his bathroom, quickly looking inside.

"You have a nice tub," she remarked before shutting off the light and going over to the closet. Quickly, peeking inside, Katniss shut the door. "A modest but tasteful wardrobe."

Peeta grinned, crossing his arms. "Anything else you want to peek into?"

Katniss raised a brow. "Where's your underwear drawer?"

"Don't wear any," he retorted.

"I'm looking forward to spending time with you," she replied. Sitting on the bed, Katniss looked up at him, grey eyes invitingly smoky. "Which side is yours?"

From what I remember—" Peeta began. "—you sleep on the right." Katniss nodded, scooting to the side closer to the lone window of his bedroom. He followed, climbing onto the mattress from the left. "So this would be my side."

Laying back, Katniss turned and closed her eyes. Pressing her nose to the pillow, she could smell his scent; forest musk and worn book pages.

"I just want to stay here." Her voice was soft. Katniss wasn't sure if he could even hear her. "I want to keep you in this place—so I can protect you. Protect us."

"Then stay." Peeta's arms wrapped around her waist and Katniss pushed back, feeling him firm behind her. His lips pressed tenderly into her temple and she remembered all those times in the forest when she had wished for him. Wished for them. Wished for this—the chance to be by his side. "Stay always."

Katniss turned to look at him. "Why?"

"Because I'm in love with you," he told her. "I always thought that would be the hardest thing for me to realize." Peeta kissed her forehead and she wished that she could freeze this moment. "When all along, it was the easiest."

"Just for that, I'll write you a poem," Katniss told him, her voice thick with happiness. "No, actually…ten poems."

"No, that's okay." Peeta shifted her so that her top half pressed to his. "I'd rather read some of that smutty fiction you mentioned."

She reached for her pillow smacking him with it before her mouth descended onto his.

* * *

"This town looks exactly the same."

Peeta put an arm around her, drawing her close. "What did you expect?"

"I expected District 12 to at least have an ATM," Katniss retorted with a laugh. They made a turn onto a side street and the smile slid off her face. She stopped, turning to Peeta. "Do we have to do this?"

"Yes." He looked to her sternly. "Your parents know that you're here. Prim has just flown in. It's time."

"I know that I have to see them," she argued. "But, I'm not quite ready for the amount of questioning about _us_."

"There's nothing for us to lie about," Peeta stated. "We didn't do anything." His hands went to her shoulders. "We waited and we found each other again." Leaning down, he gave her a light kiss. "And, we're…together."

"You can't even say it." Katniss crossed her arms. "And, you're expecting _me_ to not worry?"

"What do you want me to do? You want me to shout it out loud?" He turned and looked onto the street, cupping his hands to his mouth. "We're together! Katniss Everdeen and I are toget—"

"Peeta?"

Twisting abruptly, he found Delly walking towards them, grocery bag cradled against her.

"Hi." He went to his ex-wife, his face burning. "Just trying to prove a point to Katniss."

Delly chuckled, barely holding in her smile. "I can see that." She tilted, looking behind him to where Katniss stood awkwardly. "You want to get this over with?"

Peeta nodded. "I guess we should." He held out his hand and Katniss took it, joining their hands. "You remember Katniss."

His ex-wife held her free hand out. "I do, but it's nice to see you again."

"You as well—" Katniss replied, shaking her hand nervously. "—Delly."

"We're on our way to Katniss' parents' house," he told her good-naturedly. "So you're a good stepping stone for dealing with awkwardness."

"How about I make it a little more awkward and invite you two to dinner?" Delly suddenly said. "Parker and Millie have been asking where you've been and Thom wants to hear all about Manhattan." She looked between the couple. "If you're into it."

"Sure," Katniss answered quickly. She looked to Peeta. "Together, right?"

Peeta smiled warmly, his blue eyes brightening at her words. "Together."

"Alright…" Delly nodded slowly. "We'll see you at seven."

With a quick wave, she walked across the street and disappeared down the block.

"That wasn't so bad, was it?" Peeta said after a moment of silence.

Katniss pursed her lips. "We're so fucked."

* * *

Charlie Everdeen had his daughter's stare—sharp and calculating. However, it lacked the warmth that hers did, especially when he focused on Peeta as Katniss hugged him hello. When the couple walked in, Grace was giddy at seeing her oldest daughter drawing her into a tight embrace once the door closed.

Her eyes widened seeing Peeta before her.

"Mom, Dad—you remember Peeta, right?" Katniss started, her smile tense.

"Mr. and Mrs. Everdeen, it's nice to see you again," he told them genially.

"Thank you," Grace replied simply. "Why don't we go into the living room and wait for Prim? She just went to the store to grab something that I needed for dinner."

The living room, decorated in a soft palette of peaches and cream, was comfortable. Peeta's gaze went around the room, settling on the mantle where Prim and Katniss' graduation photos were displayed.

The girl in the photo barely resembled the woman sitting next to him on the couch, the slight roundness of youth disappearing in Katniss' gracefully structured face. Her eyes sparkled with worldliness, as if she had already known where her life was going to go.

"Would you two like anything to drink?" Grace asked.

"We're fine, Mom," Katniss told her. She looked at him and nodded, before looking to her parents. Her mother had perched herself on the armrest of her husband's chair. "I know that you are probably wondering about Peeta and me—"

"No." Her father's expression was hard and she took a breath. "You were fine writing all about it in that book of yours."

"That book wasn't about this relationship." Katniss straightened herself. "It was about me; about how I felt like I was drowning in this town, and how _someone_ taught me that I was more than I thought of myself. I didn't want to just settle."

"We get it," her father replied. "You didn't want to be your mother and me—because we were the antithesis of what you wanted in life. Did you really have it so bad, Katniss? We gave you everything you needed."

"But not everything I wanted," Katniss said. "I wanted to write and travel, to go to NYU, and to—"

"To be with your teacher," Charlie spat.

"Mr. Everdeen," Peeta found himself interrupting the man's angry conclusion. "I respect Katniss. I always have. When she was my student—" Just saying the words made his jaw heavy. "—I wanted nothing more but for her to achieve everything that she had planned for herself."

"This—" Katniss waved her hand between them sharply. "—did not happen until only recently."

"And now?" her father intoned. "Are you going to get married? Have children? Are you going to parade this embarrassing relationship for everyone in District 12 to see? Your mother can't even go to the grocery store sometimes because there are people there that have read that book of yours."

"How about just being proud that I wrote a book?" Katniss said to them.

Katniss was hurt—that much was true. The tentative relationship that she had hoped to bring back was crumbling. Her eyes went to her mother, who was sitting by her father's side, and her anger flared. Not once did her mother come to her defense, her blue eyes instead looking down at her lap.

"I feel like we're just going in circles," she told them. "I love a man. He may not be the one that you expected, but he's the one that I want. I chose him." Katniss turned to Peeta, who beamed. "I choose you."

His hand reached for hers, entwining their fingers. "I choose you."

"I want you to be part of my life," Katniss said to her parents, her voice cracking. "I want you to be proud of me. One day, I'd like to get married, have children…and I want you to be there. But if you can't accept me now, can't accept us…then I don't know what else I can say."

"I'm sorry you feel that way," her father concluded, his grey eyes expressionless.

He stood up, walking out of the room. Katniss knew where he was going; the den, which was to the back of the house. It was his retreat from the world—from her.

"Mom." Her gaze went to the woman, sitting in her father's chair and looking rather small in it. Her mother continued to stare at her hands. "For once in your life, can you please just stick up for me?"

"Goddamnit Katniss," her mother suddenly hissed. "Why do you have to make him so upset?"

"Because I am my father's daughter, obviously," Katniss retorted in frustration. "I know how to push his buttons." She sighed. "Do you want me to leave?"

"I just want to have peace," her mother said with a sigh. "Why did you have to come back?"

The room lapsed into silence.

"She came back because she loves you both," Peeta said after a moment. "And, she wanted to make up for lost time—because she cares. That's the kind of woman you raised; someone loving, kind, and overwhelmingly brilliant. A woman that I believe in. I believed in her then and I still believe in her now. I had hoped that you did, too."

"Let's go." Her voice was still and sad as she stood. "Goodbye, Mom."

Slowly, they made their way out into the hallway and opened the front door just as Prim stepped in.

"Hey!" The smile fell from her face. "Oh no…" Her hand went to her sister's shoulder. "Katniss—"

"Not right now," Katniss said as they stepped onto the porch. "I'm not going to dignify bursting into tears in their house."

Instead, she did it in the comfort of their cabin, cupped against Peeta, her face buried against his heavy chest.

* * *

Delly sat across from Peeta, placing a cup of coffee in front of him.

"I like her," she told him.

Peeta took the mug, taking a sip. "I didn't know that I needed your approval." Delly raised a brow at him and he sighed. "Sorry, just cranky. We didn't get much sleep last night."

"That was more than I needed to know," Delly retorted.

"The visit to her parents' house didn't go well," he explained.

His eyes went to Katniss, talking to Millie as the little girl braided her hair. Beside them sat Parker, obviously enamored with the woman whom he declared 'smelled like cookies' when they entered the door.

"Did you really expect it to?" Delly replied. "I mean, as much as you want to deny it, you were her teacher at one point. This is District 12, Peeta. Everyone knows when you buy a different brand of milk."

Peeta took another sip from his mug. "I forgot how it is here."

"Do you want to make a life with her?" his ex-wife inquired. "Marriage? Children?"

"One day." He looked over to find Katniss staring at him. She started, flashed him a bright smile before going back to the children. "But, definitely with her."

Thom stepped into the kitchen from the back porch with a plate of cooked burger patties. He set it down on the counter before placing a kiss to the top of his wife's head.

"Looks like the kids have taken a liking to Katniss," he remarked before joining them at the table. "You two look like you're having a real heart-to-heart. Does it have anything to do with the pretty woman in our living room?"

"Hey now!" Peeta said with a smile. "You already have one of my significant others."

Thom laughed. "Is it weird that it doesn't seem weird to say?"

"It only took ten-plus years," Delly added.

The relationship between Peeta and the Marshall Family had been a long progression of long talks and awkward moments. In time, Peeta and Delly had been able to talk as they once did—as friends. Thom, who was such an easy-going man, eventually found his way onto Peeta's good graces and the two men were not averse to sharing a beer together.

When Millie came, six years ago, Peeta had instantly adored the dark-haired baby with Delly's round eyes. She was rambunctious and sweet, loud when she needed to be, and opposite of the calm, cool Parker, who came soon after.

"I hope it doesn't take ten more for everything to be normal for Katniss and me," Peeta found himself saying.

"Are you talking about me?" Katniss stood behind him, a tired smile on her pink lips. Thom offered her a chair but she shook her head, instead sitting down on Peeta's lap. She looked to Delly. "Millie and Parker are awesome kids."

"We like them," Delly replied, pride in her eyes.

"I don't know many kids who speak French," Katniss remarked.

"We wanted them to be international," Thom told her.

"Honey, will you make sure the kids wash their hands before dinner?" Delly asked.

"Of course." Thom stood up, going into the living room. "It's time to wash your hands, kids."

"And, if we don't?" Millie questioned.

"Your hands will fall off," her father responded.

"We'll live," Parker declared.

"We like children with hands!" Delly called out and the kids giggled. She looked to the couple in front of her. "You two want one of our kids?"

"Which one?" Katniss responded with a smile.

"Don't you think we should have our own?" Peeta asked.

Delly looked between the two with an easy smile. "I'm going to let you two discuss which one of my adorable children you'd like while I set up the burger bar."

Katniss wrapped an arm around his shoulder. "I thought that I scared you off with my family."

"No." He reached to cup her cheek, wishing that he could keep that biting sadness from her gaze. "I'm just worried about you."

"I made my choice," she replied. "I chose to leave on my own. You had nothing to do with that. But, I think it's easier for my parents to find someone else to be angry with." Her gaze went around the spacious kitchen. "I like this house."

Peeta smiled wryly. "I do, too. It used to be mine."

"Maybe when you're back in New York, we could think about finding our own place," Katniss suggested, looking anywhere but at him.

"As long as it has a place for you to write," he told her.

"A place for _us_ to write," she corrected.

"One more day, Katniss." Peeta pressed a kiss to her lips.

"We just have to get through my class reunion." Katniss snorted. "Simple."

Thom entered with Millie and Parker hanging from his arms as they giggled.

"Okay, which one do you want?"

"I think we'll pass for now—" Katniss told them. "—tempting as it is."

Thom looked to his wife and shrugged. "Guess we're stuck with them."

Delly leaned down to kiss her kids, earning a laugh from both. "Guess so."

* * *

"Ready?"

Smoothing down her dress, Katniss gave Peeta a tight smile. "Ready."

Together, they entered Panem High.

She had not stepped through its halls for almost ten years and, since his promotion, Peeta's visits were only sporadic since he mostly worked in the district office. However, it all felt strangely familiar walking down the linoleum hallway and towards the gym.

"Katniss! Peeta!" They turned to find Effie and Haymitch walking towards them. Despite carrying twins, Effie's gait seemed much lighter than her husband's, who looked annoyed at having to wear a tie. "There you are."

"Just got here," Peeta informed them. He wrapped an arm around Katniss' waist. "Do you want to check in?"

She nodded nervously. "Yes."

Eyeing her, Peeta put a hand to her shoulder. "Are you okay?"

"Anxious, I guess." Katniss gave him a smile. "I'll be right back."

Stepping towards the check-in table, she squared her shoulders and made her way. A golden-haired woman with bright blue eyes manned the table, greeting everyone with a sweet smile.

"Hi!" she greeted, seeing Katniss in front of her. "Checking in?"

"Yes. Katniss Everdeen."

The woman's eyes widened. "Katniss?" She stood up, rounding the table. "It's me, Madge Undersee."

"Madge?" Memories of working as a library aide with a pretty cheerleader flooded her mind as Madge pulled her into a hug. "How are you?"

"Wonderful! Married…two children—" Madge's hand went to her stomach. "Actually, three in about six months."

"That's great," Katniss said sincerely. "And, do I know the lucky man?"

A set of hands were suddenly covering her eyes. "Hey, Catnip."

Whipping around, she found Gale, her once-best friend and neighbor, before her.

"Gale!" She threw her arms around him and he lifted her easily off the ground. Setting her down, Katniss beamed. "I can't believe it! How are you?"

Madge joined his side and his arm went around her shoulders. "Great! Married the prettiest cheerleader."

"You two!" Katniss looked at them in disbelief. "I would have never thought. You were always arguing with each other."

"All sexual tension," Madge replied with a grin. "One day, I just kissed him to shut him up." She went back to the table. "And, you are our big time author!" She handed Katniss her nametag. "We loved the book!"

Katniss looked to Gale. "You read it, too?"

"Of course." Gale beamed proudly at her. "We always knew that you were brilliant, but this was beyond anything. My friend—a full-fledged author."

"And, speaking of which…" Madge nodded her head over at Peeta, who watched with apt interest. "Did you come here together?"

Katniss felt her face warm up. "Yes, we're together."

"Kudos, Katniss." Madge winked at her. "You got the hot teacher."

"Not right away," she found herself saying. "Took me ten years to get him."

Peeta approached carefully. "Hello Gale…Madge." He met Katniss' eyes and she smiled to reassure him that she was alright.

"Long time, no see, Mr. Mellark," Gale replied. He furrowed his brow. "I mean…Peeta. Is it okay to call you that?"

"What my husband is trying to say is that we hope that you'll sit with us," Madge told the man. She looked to Katniss and smiled in assurance.

"Thank you." Katniss felt Peeta take her hand, entwining their fingers. "We'd love to."

* * *

"You've been a real sport," Katniss said as they sat at their table. The gymnasium had been decorated with blown-up pictures from their yearbook. On the auditorium's stage was a DJ spinning songs from the graduating year while former students danced on the floor. "I owe you."

Peeta shook his head. "You don't owe me anything. I just wanted you to have a good time."

Katniss leaned from her chair. "Would it be weird if I kissed you in front of all your former students?"

He shook his head. "If you don't mind that I kiss you in front of all your old classmates."

She shrugged. "Well, not a lot of people remember me."

"Katniss?" They looked across the table to where Madge was pushing herself up. "Some of the girls from my book club are calling me over. Would you please come with me? They've been bugging me all night about you." She pouted at her friend. "Please?"

"Of course." Katniss stood, but not before placing a quick kiss on his lips. "I'll be back."

Peeta grinned, his lips tingling with the taste of her gloss. "Have fun."

The two women walked towards the group and Katniss turned to him, a grimace on her face. He chuckled before searching for the Abernathys by the bar. They waved him over and Peeta rose from the table to head over to them.

A jab to his side interrupted him and the sudden scent of vodka invaded his nostrils.

"Mr. Mellark…" Peeta helped the dirty-blond man to his feet. He recognized Marvel immediately; he was the all-star athlete in Katniss' graduating class. A knee injury ruined his chances in college and Marvel had ended up losing his scholarship. The man now managed the local grocery store. "How'd you do it?"

"Why don't you have a seat, Marvel?" he instructed calmly.

The man bristled at his words, yanking himself away and almost stumbling.

"Katniss Everdeen…" Marvel slurred, a lazy grin on his face. "She had a mouth on her." He poked at Peeta's chest. "And now, she has her mouth on you…"

"Mind yourself, Marvel," Peeta warned in a low voice. "I'm going to get you some water."

Turning, he quickly headed towards the bar, trying to calm himself.

"Now everyone knows why Katniss always argued with you in class—it was foreplay!"

Peeta didn't even feel his fist connect with Marvel's jaw. He only saw red.

When he finally focused, his gaze went to Katniss, her grey eyes full of shame. All she had wanted was for them to slowly ease everyone into their relationship.

And, he had gone and fucked it up.

"Katniss, you freak!" A woman came rushing to Marvel, helping him to his feet. She glared at Katniss and then at Peeta. "You two just had to come."

"I didn't do anything…" Katniss backed away before turning and rushing out of the gymnasium.

"Katniss." Peeta's heart dropped to his stomach and he rushed to follow her. Outside, he looked to each side, spotting her rushing towards the main part of town. "Katniss!"

She ignored him, walking as fast as her stilettos could take her.

Peeta caught her easily, rounding to face her tear-streaked face.

"Glimmer is crazy. And, Marvel has had too much to drink—"

"And, my parents will eventually accept us…and people will forget that I was your student." Katniss wiped her eyes in frustration. "But people won't. Not here, Peeta. Not in District 12."

"Is that why you hated this place so much?" he asked her.

"I was always different. Like Glimmer said, I was a freak. I just couldn't be a normal teenager." She looked to him. "And, it became even more glaring when I fell in love with you." A shaky laugh escaped her trembling lips. "I couldn't just fall for a teenage boy!"

"It's not a bad thing to be different," Peeta said.

"Except for moments like this," Katniss told him. "Even though we're out here, I feel the walls closing in."

Peeta took her hands. "So tell me—what do you want to do?" He pressed his lips to her fingers. "Tell me and I will make it happen."

"I want to go back to New York now," she said in a small voice. "I want you to come with me."

"You don't want to just go. You want to run away," Peeta clarified. "I can't run with you…not like this."

Katniss looked at him helplessly. "So what then?"

His mouth was dry despite the burn of tears in his throat. "I don't know."

* * *

"Katniss!"

She threw the blanket over her just as Johanna and Cashmere burst into the room. "Leave, please."

"Do you really think that you can just ignore us?" Johanna asked as she sat at the edge of the mattress. "It's been two weeks since you've come back from District 12. You've canceled all your events. I'm not making money. Of course, I'm going to bug you."

"What my dearest wife means is that we're worried about you," Cashmere said from where she sat next to Katniss' buried form. "You're not talking to us. Peeta is just barely talking to us."

Katniss peeked out from her blanket. "What do you mean 'just barely'?"

"Peeta called to thank me for setting up the interview at Cara's school," her friend told her. "But, he decided to not take the position—and he wouldn't tell me why." Cashmere gave her a sad smile. "I think that it has something to do with a pretty writer that I know."

"What the fuck happened?" Johanna crawled over, wedging herself between Katniss and Cashmere.

"It just got too hard." Katniss looked between the couple. She blinked feeling a fresh set of tears hit her cheeks. "I've wanted Peeta for so long. Everything I've done was for us and I thought that here was our chance. But, I didn't factor in that not everyone is like you two or the Abernathys…Gale and Madge…Delly and Thom…Prim…"

"No offense, Katniss," Cashmere started. "But that sounds like a lot of people. Not to mention, a lot of people who count." She brushed Katniss' messy hair from her face affectionately. "And, Peeta is at the top of that rung. He has always put you first, even when it hurt him."

"And, I'm doing the same," Katniss said, sitting up. "He shouldn't leave District 12 with our relationship as his legacy!"

"Katniss, he doesn't give a flying fuck about any legacy," Johanna told her. "He gives a fuck about you—and you're missing out on this great love that you both have. You're missing it and hiding in your bedroom with two lesbians."

Katniss half-sobbed, half-laughed at her friend's words. "I really messed up, didn't I?" It crumbled into a heap of sobs. "I abandoned him when he needed me the most. How could I even get him to forgive me?"

"Meet him halfway." Cashmere handed her an embossed envelope. "Hell, meet him more than that!"

"And, if he doesn't forgive me?"

"Then, you'll have us," Johanna said simply. Her hand covered Katniss'.

Cashmere added her hand in. "We're not going anywhere."

Katniss gave them a smile. "Thank you."

"So what are we going to do?" Johanna asked.

Opening the envelope, she read over the card and then placed it back in the envelope before looking to the couple.

"You're going to help me pack."

* * *

"For being the celebrant, you look like you're having a grand old time."

Delly handed him a glass of champagne.

"I'm having a good time," Peeta assured her. He fidgeted with the collar of dress shirt. "Effie tied my bowtie a little too tightly. Is my face turning blue?"

Chuckling, Delly took a sip from her glass and set it on the table next to them. "Here. Let me." She undid the bowtie eyeing it to make sure both sides were equal. "So is your place all packed?"

He nodded. "It's amazing how my whole life was able to be packed up in only a month." Peeta sighed. "I can't believe that I'm _just_ doing this."

"You deserve it," Delly said. "You've been busy saving everybody else's life and forgetting about your own. This is your chance."

He met his ex-wife's eyes sadly. "Even if it's a lonely life?"

Delly smiled sympathetically. "You don't know that." She adjusted the bowtie, stepping back to examine him. "Perfect. When are you taking off?"

"Tomorrow evening," he informed her.

"Stop by the house," she told him. "Millie and Parker want to give you goodbye presents."

Peeta nodded, giving her a kiss on the cheek. "Of course."

Moving away, Delly gave him a final smile before returning to Thom.

His eyes looked around the event room in the middle of town. He had been surprised when Haymitch and Effie had presented him with the idea of a farewell party. His first instinct was to refuse, but the two had pulled off an epic guilt trip telling him that it was their duty as the parents of his future godchildren, a girl and a boy.

How could he refuse?

Despite what Peeta might have thought in regards to his reputation, his work as a teacher and superintendent were not all for naught. It was reflected in the crowd that had come to say goodbye, many of them former students and co-workers.

His chest ached thinking of the one person whom he desperately wanted to be there.

He raised his glass in thanks to Haymitch and Effie, who were near the entrance of the room—before nearly dropping it.

For behind them entered a beautiful raven-haired woman in an ivy-colored wrap dress. She scanned the room before her smoky eyes fell onto his stunned form.

Tentatively, she approached, the train of her dress trailing behind her elegantly.

Katniss stopped in front of him. "Peeta."

He swallowed harshly. "Katniss." His eyes moved over her, taking in every bit of her beauty in, and feeling the air leave his body, as it always did when she was around. "How are you?"

"Not good," she croaked out, her voice tight. Katniss looked to him, eyes glistening. "I missed you so much."

"You left me," he found himself saying.

Katniss nodded, blinking back tears. "I know that. I left when you needed me the most—when we needed each other the most. I'll always regret that." Her hand reached for his. "Being away from you just made me see all the more how much I love you…how much I want to be with you."

"And, everyone else?" Peeta asked coarsely.

"I don't care. The people who matter the most will be there for us," she told him. "We'll be there for one another and, in the end, that's all that matters. I know that you're not going to forgive me right away, but if we could just start off slow. Go on a date or two…coffee…anything really. I just want to be near you—whether that's here or Manhattan. I just want you to know that I love you. I'm proud of you and of us."

His chest constricted. "How do I know that for sure?"

Giving his hand a squeeze, Katniss tugged him along. He passed Delly and Thom, who raised their glasses to him. Effie and Haymitch gave him full smiles while Cashmere and Johanna waved from where they stood by the bar. Prim looked between him and her sister before stepping aside.

They stopped and Peeta looked around, realizing that they stood in the center of the room.

"We danced together once," Katniss said to him. "And, I told you that I never did because I wasn't into forced dancing. The truth was that I didn't want to dance with anyone but you. I still believe that."

Gently she put his hand to her slender waist before weaving her hands behind his neck as the gentle strum of a guitar began to play over the speakers.

" _The book of love is long and boring  
No one can lift the damn thing  
It's full of charts and facts, some figures and instructions for dancing…_"

"I love this song," Peeta found himself saying as they began to sway. "I remember listening to the Peter Gabriel version, though."

" _But I,  
I love it when you read to me.  
And you,  
You can read me anything…_"

"We have a penchant for finding commonalities despite huge number gaps," Katniss replied. "This is a new version. Came out last year."

"Why are you doing this, Katniss?"

"Because I'm in love with you—and I don't care who knows it," she declared. "I would be lucky to be the person you want to live your life with—if you choose me."

Peeta pressed his forehead to hers. "I always choose you."

Katniss shone, crystalline tears rolling down her cheeks. "I always choose you, too."

Peeta smiled, closing the distance between them.

" _But I,  
I love it when you give me things.  
And you,  
You ought to give me wedding rings…_"

* * *

The night was warm so they decided to walk back to his place.

"So where are you going?" Katniss asked. "Delly sent the invitation for the farewell party, but no one said much about where you would be heading."

"Connecticut," Peeta informed her. "My parents owned some property up there and when they passed, it was given to me."

"Did you get a job out there?"

He shook his head. "No." Turning, Peeta took her hands in his. "My book—the one that you read—has found a publisher. I used some of the notes you wrote in the copy you had borrowed and have been improving it over the past ten or so years. In fact, the publishers want me to start working on a follow-up."

Katniss threw her arms around him. "That's wonderful! I'm so proud of you!"

A crunch of leaves caught their attention and they turned to find themselves at the edge of the forest.

Peeta smiled at her. "Do you remember the way?"

She nodded, taking his hand and leading him into her forest home.

The woods welcomed them, illuminating their path with the light of the moon filtering through the glowing leaves of the trees. Their rock summoned them, protective and solid, as always.

Katniss looked underneath it and was surprised to find her light still in its familiar crevice.

"I came here a lot to work on edits last year," Peeta explained. "The batteries should still be good."

She looked around, taking the sight of it in, and took a deep breath.

"You found your garden."

Her eyes went to Peeta. "I found you."

Katniss stepped back slowly, her back resting against the smooth boulder, her eyes beckoning.

Removing his jacket, Peeta tossed it to the ground before pressing forward, his mouth joining hers.

She hummed against his lips, hands gathered into his hair to bring him closer. "Peeta…"

He pulled away, just slightly, as her hands fell from his locks to travel down and stop at her waist, where the tie of her dress was.

Katniss kept her gaze on him as she easily undid the tie to unravel the dress.

Peeta stepped back, his gaze moving from her face…down to the skin exposed from the opening of her dress…the lace bra and matching panties…and finally down to her bare feet.

"Come here," she called to him softly.

There was nothing to do but obey.

* * *

 _Two Years Later…_

The slight rustling of the autumn wind did not seem to bother the sleeping duo.

The woman, dark-haired and olive-skinned, protectively rested her hand on the back of the baby, who snoozed on her chest.

Peeta quietly closed his notebook, careful not to bother Katniss and Lennie. The three arrived in District 12 in the still of the night, setting their things in Peeta's cabin before heading into their forest once the sun had risen over the town.

Lennie stirred; her long, dark lashes fluttering, before opening her eyes and revealing her father's deep blues. She didn't cry, only looking around before settling at the sight of her father and mimicking his smile.

"Hey, little girl." Carefully, Peeta picked her up, bringing her head to the crook of his arm. "You excited to see Grandma and Grandpa? Aunt Prim?" Lennie gurgled, waving her arms out in excitement. "Or, maybe you're ready to race Sawyer and Dani—but you do have to learn to crawl first so you can play with them."

Sawyer and Danielle Abernathy were hitting their terrible two's, walking and just generally driving Haymitch and Effie up the wall. The phone calls and e-mails from the Abernathys had been a constant source of entertainment for Katniss and Peeta.

"Millie and Parker are fighting over who gets to babysit you," he told the little girl. "I know they're still too young, but your Aunt Delly has shown them pictures and now they've completely fallen in love with you, like everyone who meets you."

"She's going to get big headed if you kept telling her how everyone is fighting over her." Katniss sat up, stretching her arms over her head, before giving father and daughter a smile. "What time are we meeting Prim and Rory?"

Prim and Gale's younger brother Rory had run into one another at Peeta's farewell party. The two had quickly started dating and were now set to marry in a few days. Katniss would be serving as Matron of Honor and it was a long overdue vacation for them since he and Katniss had been traveling for his book tour.

 _Raised in a Small Town_ , Peeta's first book, had been a monumental success after ten-plus years of work. He and Katniss were just barely married when Johanna, now his agent, booked him on a tour that took them from the streets of Manhattan to the sunny beaches of Los Angeles.

It was in Portland when they discovered that Katniss was pregnant. They were halfway through the tour and his wife insisted they continue despite the rigorous traveling. They enjoyed their nomad life; seeing the country, discovering different lifestyles, and making love in some not-so-conventional places.

Lennie was conceived against one of the tallest redwoods he and Katniss had ever seen. She was born in the nation's capital in one of the best medical facilities on Father's Day.

Their daughter was well-traveled for someone barely a year old.

"In about an hour," he told his wife. "Did you have a nice nap?"

Katniss nodded. "Nervous, I guess. As we know, my parents can be difficult."

The relationship between them and the older Everdeens was still tense, but Lennie's birth had softened them—especially with Grace, who could not help but adore a granddaughter who resembled Katniss so much.

His eyes went to her barely-there swell. "We going to tell them about…?"

"In two weeks, it's going to be obvious," she replied. "By the way, Cashmere sent me a list of houses to look into. One is two blocks from their house and Cara is already begging me to buy it so she can babysit."

"We never have to worry about not spending time with one another," he said with a grin. "We have a whole gang of people trying to spend some time with this Little Miss!"

"It's the eyes, I think." Katniss crawled over to them, pressing a kiss to their daughter's dowdy hair. "You can't help but fall in love." She smiled tenderly at him. "I know I was a goner looking into those blues."

Lennie's arms shot up as Katniss leaned forward to give her husband a kiss on the cheek, letting them know that she was in need of some attention.

"Lennox Mellark." He only called her by her full name when he was trying lecture her. It rarely worked. "Sometimes, I'm going to have to kiss your mother."

"And, sometimes I'm going to have to kiss your father," Katniss added with a grin.

"She's just like you sometimes," Peeta told his wife affectionately. "I can almost see her now in her classes, hand in the air trying to argue every…single…point."

Katniss scoffed. "You love that about me!"

"That is true," he admitted.

Lennie reached her hands out, stretching her mouth in a yawn.

"Do you want me to tell you a story?" Katniss asked her daughter and Lennie hummed at her in affirmation. "There was once a girl who loved the woods, so much that she believed that it spoke to her, and one day, it actually did…"

Soon their daughter slept and Katniss turned to him, a smile in her stare.

"You happy, Mr. Mellark?"

Lifting her chin, his mouth met hers in a tender kiss.

"Always, Mrs. Mellark."

 **FIN.**

* * *

Thank you if you stuck around.

Couldn't get this story out of my mind and I thoroughly enjoyed writing it. I hope you liked reading it.

Anyway, not many notes in regards to this except—Lennox's name is, of course, taken from Mary Lennox from _The Secret Garden_.

Song: "The Book of Love"—version sung by Gavin James though I do mention the Peter Gabriel version—both are great and I just adore this song.

Feedback is love.

Thank you again from the bottom of my heart.

-JLaLa


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